Devendra Kumar
US President Joe Biden has decided to skip the annual climate talks in Dubai this week, despite having attended twice before. Instead, a team of climate specialists will represent the administration, including special envoy John Kerry, climate adviser Ali Zaidi, and clean energy adviser John Podesta. The White House announced that the administration looks forward to a “robust and productive” Cop28 and will continue to build on its actions to tackle the climate crisis.
The decision comes as the president has been deeply engaged in other issues, including the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and domestic battles with Congress over government funding. The two-week conference, held annually by the United Nations, brings together representatives from roughly 200 nations and the Vatican to work towards stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions and preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system.
This year, the United Arab Emirates, the world’s fifth-largest oil producer, is hosting the climate talks, which could make cooperation between nations more challenging due to the ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Sultan al-Jaber, the president-designate, has been criticized by climate activists for his appointment, given his role as the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which is seeking to increase its production of carbon-emitting crude oil and natural gas.
President Biden has been vocal about the importance of addressing climate change, calling it the “ultimate threat to humanity.” Earlier this month, he released an assessment on the state of climate change in America, stating that it is impacting all regions in the US, not just some. He has also emphasized the need for clean energy manufacturing, pushing for the Inflation Reduction Act, America’s most significant response to climate change, which aims to spur clean energy on a scale that will bend the arc of US greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite his skipped attendance at the climate talks, President Biden’s administration will continue to build on its climate actions, leaving a team of experts to represent the US at the conference. The decision to send a team instead of the President himself is likely a strategic move, as it allows the administration to prioritize other pressing issues while still maintaining its commitment to addressing the climate crisis.