US Climate Groups Step Up as Trump Admin Skips COP30 Summit

American environmental organizations are preparing to fill a leadership vacuum at next month’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, as the Trump administration signals it will not send an official delegation to the critical UN conference.

With President Trump having previously withdrawn the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and recently dismissing global warming as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” grassroots activists and non-profit groups are mobilizing to represent American climate interests on the international stage.

“This is a really important moment to illustrate that Trump does not represent the entirety, or even anywhere near a majority, of us,” explained Collin Rees, US program manager at Oil Change International, who plans to attend the summit. The organization is among numerous American environmental groups preparing to advocate for ambitious climate action despite the federal government’s anticipated absence.

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) represents a pivotal moment for global climate negotiations, as nations work to strengthen commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit planetary warming. While the Trump administration has implemented significant environmental rollbacks and stepped back from international climate leadership, American civil society groups are determined to ensure the country’s pro-climate voices are heard.

This grassroots approach reflects a broader trend of non-governmental actors stepping into diplomatic roles when official channels fall short. As the summit approaches, these organizations face the challenge of demonstrating that substantial segments of American society remain committed to international climate cooperation, even without federal government support.