Overview
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse arrived in Belém as effectively the sole U.S. government presence at COP30, saying the Trump administration does not reflect public support for climate action.
- He is promoting carbon pricing tools, including support for Europe’s carbon border mechanism, arguing they are essential to drive emissions cuts and innovation.
- Whitehouse said the State Department declined to sponsor his UN credentials, forcing his team to obtain a negotiation-area badge through a nonprofit group.
- Unable to participate in formal negotiations, he plans meetings with heads of state, lawmakers, business leaders and civil society to advance his message.
- He warned the United States is “deliberately losing” clean-tech ground to China under pro–fossil fuel policies, as the White House defended its energy stance and skipped an official delegation.