U.S. to skip high-level participation at COP30 in Brazil, easing fears of disruption

The United States will not send any senior officials to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, a White House official told Reuters, easing concerns among world leaders that Washington might attempt to derail negotiations.

Brazil is set to host a leaders’ summit next week, ahead of two weeks of UN climate talks in the Amazonian city of Belém.

The move follows recent U.S. threats to impose visa restrictions and sanctions on countries backing a proposal by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to cut emissions from global shipping. That pressure led most IMO member states to delay by one year a vote on a carbon pricing plan for the sector.

The White House official said President Donald Trump has already made his stance on global climate policy clear, referring to last month’s UN General Assembly speech in which Trump called climate change “the world’s greatest con job” and criticised nations for adopting climate measures that “cost their countries fortunes.”

The administration has instead focused on bilateral energy deals—particularly boosting U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to partners such as South Korea, the EU and potentially China.

Trump formally notified the UN of U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, which will take effect in January 2026. The State Department is also reviewing U.S. participation in other environmental treaties.

Washington has recently opposed efforts to cap global plastic production under a proposed anti-plastics treaty as well.

The White House official argued that “the tide is turning” on climate priorities, citing a memo from philanthropist Bill Gates suggesting the world should shift away from strict temperature targets and that climate change “will not lead to humanity’s demise.”