For the first time in three decades, the president of the United States is not sending a delegate to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The 30th annual Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, colloquially known as COP30, is currently being held in Belém, Brazil. This summit brings together world leaders, climate scientists, NGOs, and businesses to discuss solutions to human-caused climate change. The decision to remain absent from COP30 reflects the Trump administration’s disregard for the threat climate change poses to humanity and clearly signals to the international community that, as of now, America is not concerned with preventing it. White House Spokesperson Taylor Rogers gave several news outlets, including the LA Times, NPR, and CNN, identical messages regarding the administration’s decision, bluntly stating, “President Trump will not jeopardize our country’s economic and national security to pursue vague climate goals that are killing other countries.” According to Reuters, critics warn that the U.S.’s absence gives China more influence in climate change negotiations, at a time when China’s renewable energy sector is booming. The Trump administration’s decision to boycott COP30 is an ethical faux pas that is disadvantageous to U.S. interests, both environmentally and economically.
Although Trump did not send an official delegate to the annual climate summit, it was not entirely devoid of a U.S. presence. After learning that there was no US delegate to COP30, California Governor Gavin Newsom decided to attend, telling press covering the conference that he is “there because [he doesn’t] want the U.S. to be a footnote” at the conference. Newsom said, “the Trump administration has abandoned any sense of duty, responsibility, or leadership” concerning climate change, calling the administration’s negligence a “disgrace” and an “abomination.” He claimed that California was “absolutely” a stand-in for the U.S., stating that the world views California as a “historic partner… in the absence of American leadership.” He also noted that the U.S.’ absence would harm its economic standing with China, which is in attendance. “China gets it,” he said. “This is not about electric power. This is about economic power. And we, in the state of California, are not going to cede that race to China.” The president of the COP, Andre Correa, and the CEO of the COP, Ana de Toni, have acknowledged China’s rising role in climate governance. De Toni told Reuters, “China has shown leadership … by carrying out its own energy revolution” and that “China is very determined… to be a stable leader in the Paris agreement, strengthening climate governance.” Christina Figueres, a Costa Rican diplomat, highlights that a benefit of the U.S. not attending the conference is that it would not be able to “do [its] direct bullying,” essentially stating that the Trump administration’s attitude towards climate change has hindered the international community’s ability to address the issue of climate change.
The Trump Administration’s decision to boycott COP30 is reckless in many ways. Not only does this decision endanger the U.S. economically, as ceding influence over climate governance to China will allow the nation to continue surpassing the U.S. in the renewable energy sector, but choosing not to attend the summit endangers the entire planet and potentially billions of lives because the U.S. is one of the world’s leading carbon emitters. Failing to address its environmental policies could drastically impact worldwide carbon emission levels. Also, as a historically major actor in climate affairs, disregarding international norms surrounding climate change signals to other countries that participation in intergovernmental policymaking is not necessary if choosing not to participate is in a nation’s self-interest.
President Trump has historically been against climate action. He is on record as a climate denier and recently called global warming a “con job,” renewable energy a “scam,” and carbon footprint a “hoax” in a speech to the UN General Assembly. Trump has not once, but twice, pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords, a 2015 treaty aimed at limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Also, Trump’s domestic initiatives have targeted policies designed to reduce the environmental impact of American industries. For example, the Environmental Protection Industry has significantly deregulated the American energy industry, allowing for higher acceptable levels of carbon emissions and other pollutants.
The U.S. cannot protect its own interests, nor the interests of the international community as a whole, by taking a backseat role in international climate governance. Boycotting COP30 could remove America from its position as a global leader in renewable energy and climate governance, paving the way for China- already an emerging leader in renewable energy- and other nations to leave the U.S. behind. In addition to hindering technological and economic progress in American industries, the Trump administration’s decision to abstain from sending a delegate directly threatens human life. Refusing to participate in the solution is the same as contributing to the problem– and in this case, the problem could potentially end countless lives.