What the U.S. Absence at COP30 Tells Us

World leaders are meeting at the COP30 this week to discuss climate. The U.S. was not part of this meeting. Somini Sengupta, our international climate reporter, discusses what this absence means.

By Somini Sengupta, Katrin Bennhold, Christina Thornell, Leila Medina and Stephanie Swart

November 13, 2025