BELEM, Brazil — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is there. So is New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers. But President Donald Trump and members of his administration are all noticeably absent from this year’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil.

Last week, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers confirmed the United States would not send any high-level officials to the 30th meeting of the United Nations’ Conference of the Parties, or COP30, saying in a statement, “President Trump will not jeopardize our country’s economic and national security to pursue vague climate goals that are killing other countries.”

So local government leaders are stepping in to fill the void. At COP30, three governors, 35 mayors and 50 other city officials from 26 states are in attendance, ac

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