World leaders are gathering in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, the United Nations climate conference taking place from 10 to 21 November. The summit, hosted in the Amazon, is focused on keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, advancing climate finance, and strengthening international cooperation.
Yet this year’s conference begins under a shadow. The United States, the world’s largest historical emitter of carbon dioxide, will not send any high-level officials. President Donald Trump has withdrawn the country from the Paris Agreement for a second time and has dismissed climate change as a “hoax.” His absence leaves a visible gap in the world’s most important climate talks.
Roughly 50,000 delegates from nearly 200 nations are attending COP30. Brazil, the host, is calling the meeting a “Global Mutirão for Sustainability,” drawing on a local term that means collective effort. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wants the summit to mark a turning point for action rather than promises. But with major economies divided and political tensions high, the path forward remains uncertain.
U.S. absence shifts tone of global talks
The White House confirmed it would not send senior representatives to Belém, marking the first time in decades that no high-level U.S. delegation is attending. President Trump’s decision reinforces his administration’s rejection of international climate cooperation.
At the U.N. General Assembly in September, Trump described climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” and warned that “green energy will make countries fail.” His words drew sharp criticism from scientists and diplomats who see the U.S. withdrawal as a setback to global progress.
Anna Åberg, research fellow at Chatham House in London, said the absence might limit disruption. “It’s really unfortunate that the Trump administration has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement for a second time,” Åberg said. “But given their current stance, it’s just as well they’re not sending officials, because I don’t know what they would have contributed.”
Ilana Seid, Palau’s ambassador and chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the move undermines the talks. “The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has really shifted the gravity of the whole negotiating system,” she said. Small island nations, already facing sea-level rise and stronger storms, depend on global cooperation for survival.
Calls for unity despite deep divisions
Brazil’s COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago urged delegates to embrace the spirit of mutirão, working together for a shared goal. “Either we decide to change by choice, together, or we will be imposed change by tragedy,” he wrote in a letter to negotiators. “We can change. But we must do it together.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres also appealed for urgent collective action. “Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss, especially for those least responsible,” he said in Belém. “Failure to limit global heating would amount to moral failure and deadly negligence.”
Brazilian climate scientist Paulo Artaxo said the U.S. absence would hurt symbolically but not halt progress. “There is no doubt that the absence of the world’s largest economy has a significant impact,” Artaxo said. “But we are hopeful that other countries will fill this gap as the U.S. becomes more isolated in decisions crucial for our planet.”
Global South steps forward
With Washington sidelined, emerging powers are moving to shape the climate agenda. The BRICS bloc, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has proposed a “Baku-to-Belém Roadmap,” a $1.3 trillion plan to expand climate finance for developing nations. At the BRICS Summit in July, Lula da Silva urged rich countries to double adaptation funding by 2025 and ensure fair access to technology.
Marina Silva, Brazil’s environment minister, said the summit is a chance to rebuild trust. “COP30 is our chance to strengthen climate multilateralism, rebuilding cooperation and solidarity in a difficult geopolitical environment,” she said.
Yet Europe’s stance is also under pressure. After long negotiations, EU ministers agreed to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, but the plan allows foreign carbon credits, reducing the real cut to about 85%. “Setting a climate target is not just picking a number, it is a political decision with far-reaching consequences,” said Danish minister Lars Aagaard.
Legal pressure and moral responsibility
This year’s summit follows a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declaring that all nations have a legal duty to prevent and repair climate harm. The court found that the climate crisis poses an “urgent and existential threat” to humanity and that failing to act violates international law.
Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s climate minister, said the decision strengthens the case for accountability. “We need to remind polluting states that cooperation is a legal obligation, not charity,” he said. The ICJ ruling elevates the 1.5-degree target from aspiration to legal benchmark, meaning governments could face legal challenges if their emission cuts fall short.
Elisa Morgera, U.N. special rapporteur for climate change, warned that ignoring the ruling would damage the conference’s credibility. “If we don’t have a meaningful decision on fossil fuels, then the process cannot be considered legitimate any more,” she said.
The stakes in Belém
For countries already suffering from climate disasters, COP30 is about survival. From Hurricane Melissa’s destruction in Jamaica to record floods in Pakistan and wildfires across the Amazon, the impacts are escalating.
Simon Stiell, the U.N. climate chief, said the summit must connect climate action to “people’s real lives.” His warning came as delegates arrived in Belém amid heavy rain and damaged infrastructure, stark reminders of what is at risk.
Trump’s absence may dominate headlines, but the world’s focus in Belém remains on action. “There are still governments and institutions that want to take action on climate change,” said Anna Åberg. “The most important thing COP30 can do is send that signal, that despite division, the work continues.”
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