US Absence at COP30 Exacerbates Financial Challenge to Meet Climate Targets

The official absence of the United States at COP30 formal negotiations was highlighted at a US Climate Action Network press conference held on Monday, on the seventh day of the climate event in Belém, Brazil. Representatives of US organizations stated that, even without a government delegation present, the country “casts a shadow” over the debates and increases the deadlock on core issues such as climate finance and loss and damage.

According to Brandon Wu from ActionAid USA, the historical obstruction of climate finance by the US explains why issues such as adaptation and loss and damage are stalled. “The country is not here, but it is casting a long shadow over these negotiations,” he said, adding that its stance has influenced other developed countries to avoid robust financial commitments.

Wu said that the lack of resources is currently the biggest obstacle to COP30. “Without support, without funding, ambition is impossible in many parts of the world,” he said. He pointed out that the new Loss and Damage Fund announced on the first day of the conference has only $250 million, while the annual needs of countries in the Global South reach hundreds of billions. According to him, “it’s a drop in the ocean,” stressing that rich countries “haven’t delivered historically, aren’t delivering now, and are giving every indication that they won’t deliver.”