BELÉM, Brazil—On the penultimate day of COP30, with nearly 200 countries close to finalizing a global roadmap toward a fossil fuel phase out, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres had a simple message for President Donald Trump and the United States: “We are waiting for you.”

Despite the absence of formal representation from the federal government at the annual climate talks, the country’s influence is still felt. Victor Menotti , interim U.S. coordinator with the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice , likened the country’s presence to that of a ghost in the global climate machine.

Several senior U.S. climate diplomats from previous administrations attended COP30, including Todd Stern, Sue Biniaz and Trigg Talley, who all helped negotiate the Paris Agreement. As the U.S.

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