The Significance of the United States Absence from COP30 w/ University of Queensland’s Matt McDonald: 6 November, 2025

Next week is the start of COP30, the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This year it’s taking place in Brazil.

Earlier this week, the Trump Administration confirmed that no high-level Government representatives would be attending the climate talks.

Trump has previously called the climate crisis a “hoax” and “con job”.

For International Desk, Wire Host Caeden spoke to Matt McDonald, Professor in the School of Political Science and International Studies, at the University of Queensland, about the lack of United States presence at COP30.