By Juliana Vasquez | Staff Writer
While the U.S. was wrapping up its own governmental crisis at home, world leaders prepared to take the stage at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. America, China and India chose not to send formal delegates to the conference this year, a controversial move as three of the world’s largest polluters.
The United Nations describes COP30 as a time “where the world comes together to agree on the actions to address the climate crisis,” brainstorming policy that could be applied across the board to portray a unified stance to battle climate change.
The U.S. decision to sit out the conference was no surprise to global leaders, Reuters reports, as “President Donald Trump has already made his administration’s views on multilateral climate action clear … call[ing] climate change the world’s ‘greatest con job.'”
Although the U.S. didn’t send a formal representative, state and local representatives made an appearance informally on its behalf. Yet the message has already been sent to world leaders: climate issues are not on the docket for American legislators.
Dr. Matthew Gerber, an associate professor of communication studies and a foreign policy rhetoric scholar, said this move could have a ripple effect on U.S. foreign policy goals beyond the conference. However, the move is not surprising, Gerber said.
“U.S. support for multilateral institutions and international cooperation has gone down markedly during the Trump administration,” Gerber said. “He’s more of an ‘America-first’ president.”
This shift toward a more isolationist policy will likely shift and change as the presidential cycle continues, Gerber said.
“With any president, they’re going to have different foreign policy priorities,” Gerber said. “Depending on who the next president is determines the direction of how we go.”
The Trump administration has been critical of climate policy throughout his term, claiming that renewable energy sources were inefficient and overly expensive, and that the impacts of climate change have been exaggerated or incorrect.
One of the key rhetorical strategies the administration is utilizing to explain its absence from the conference is the uncertainty argument, Gerber said.
“They’re [saying] there is enough scientific skepticism, doubt about climate change and whether or not it’s real,” Gerber said. “There are also arguments that we shouldn’t be held accountable for things that other countries are doing as well.”
Although the U.S. has taken a national step back from combating climate change, there are various ways students can be more environmentally friendly and contribute to keeping Earth green.
Cypress sophomore Tan Green said one way students can be environmentally friendly is by being mindful of how they transport themselves across campus.
“Riding bikes more than using electric scooters [can help], finding other green, friendly ways of transportation around campus,” Green said.
