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US absence set to loom over COP30

The absence of U.S. leaders and the Trump administration’s broader retreat from climate action is expected to loom over this year’s COP30 summit.

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COP30, the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference that kicks off Monday in Belém, Brazil, is an annual gathering of nations to work on the future of climate action.

The U.S. — which is the largest historic greenhouse gas emitter and currently has the second-most emissions, behind only China — has said it does not plan to send any “high level representatives” to the conference.

Administration officials have not answered follow-up questions about whether they plan to send any representation that would not be considered “high level.”

The White House has noted that President Trump is

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