The United Nations' annual climate change conference has reached a new level of irrelevance, demonstrated by the notable absences of key world leaders and continued increases in global emissions despite decades of international negotiations.
Key Leaders Skip COP30 Summit
The 30th Conference of the Parties, known as COP30, currently underway in Belem, Brazil from November 10-21, 2025, is missing several prominent figures who were once central to climate discussions. Most notably, U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change a hoax, is absent from the proceedings.
Also missing is Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who prior to entering politics served as the UN's special envoy for climate action. During his time with the UN, Carney was a leading corporate advocate for carbon taxes, frequently arguing they were set too low to be effective.
Shift in Canadian Climate Policy
Since becoming prime minister, Carney has dramatically shifted Canada's approach to climate policy. His first major action was eliminating former prime minister Justin Trudeau's widely unpopular consumer carbon tax. He has also postponed Trudeau's mandate requiring that 20% of all new car sales be electric vehicles starting next year.
In a significant policy reversal, Carney is currently negotiating with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith about constructing a new oil pipeline to export bitumen to Asian markets. The prime minister has indicated he plans to replace the consumer carbon tax with an improved industrial carbon tax, though specific details remain undisclosed.
Hypocrisy and Environmental Impact
The UN's credibility on climate issues has been severely damaged by what critics describe as rampant hypocrisy and tone-deafness. Each year, the conference attracts over 50,000 registered delegates, including political leaders, billionaires, celebrities, and lobbyists who frequently travel by corporate jet to luxury destinations.
This year's 12-day conference is projected to generate a carbon footprint nearly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of the entire island nation of Samoa. The spectacle of elite travelers urging ordinary citizens to lower their living standards to save the planet has increasingly failed to impress the global public.
Failed Climate Targets
The practical results of these lavish conferences have been minimal. When most nations signed the UN's Paris climate accord in 2015, pledging to reduce energy-related emissions, the global total stood at 32.1 billion tonnes. Last year, emissions reached a record high of 37.8 billion tonnes - an increase of nearly 18% since the agreement was signed.
The UN's approach of do as we say, not as we do has proven ineffective in inspiring genuine global action on climate change, leaving many to question the relevance of these annual gatherings that consume significant resources while delivering diminishing returns.
