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The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30), held in Belém, Brazil, marks a pivotal point ten years after the Paris Agreement, a legally binding and universal accord to combat climate change by limiting global warming. Taking place near the Amazon rainforest, this summit centers on implementation, moving beyond pledges to execute concrete actions. The attendance and ambitious commitments of Canada stand out in contrast to the intentional absence of senior US federal officials. This highlights the disparity in how North America is approaching this global climate mandate.
Canadian Commitments & Climate Ambition
Canada arrived at COP 30 with a clear delegation led by the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The country’s presence reflects a commitment to inclusivity and cooperation, with a diverse delegation including Indigenous representatives, civil society, and provincial leaders.
Reflecting on Canada’s history as a proponent of market-based solutions, it maintains a commitment to advancing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. While Canada participates in developing Article 6 rules, its current focus is on participating in high-integrity carbon market development. This is depicted through its endorsement of the Declaration of the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets and joining the Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets at COP 30.
Canada's message is one of innovative and ambitious action, asserting that economic growth and emissions reduction are mutually achievable. Relevant to COP 30’s implementation focus, Canada has backed several critical initiatives:
- Sustainable Finance and Carbon Markets: Canada endorsed the Belém 4x Pledge on Sustainable Fuels and joined the Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, aiming to enhance demand for high-integrity carbon credits and increase private investment in greenhouse gas mitigation.
- International Finance: Since 2015, Canada has committed over USD 8.7 billion in international climate finance, helping to meet the Paris Agreement’s global goals and funding resilience efforts in developing nations. Since 2015, Canada has committed over $8.7 billion in international climate finance, helping to meet the Paris Agreement’s global goals and funding resilience efforts in developing nations.
- Global Resilience: Ottawa is leading international efforts to strengthen Early Warning Systems, particularly for climate-vulnerable countries, including hosting the launch of the CREWS 2030 Strategy.
By signing on to specific initiatives focused on technology, finance, and cross-border cooperation, Canada positions itself as a committed actor seeking to accelerate global progress toward the critical 1.5°C warming limit.
The Significance of Federal Absence from the US
In contrast to Canada’s high-level engagement, the United States, the world's second-largest emitter, confirmed it would not send any senior federal representatives to COP 30. This decision, confirmed by the White House, is consistent with the current administration's anti-climate stance. In the past nine months, this administration has renewed focus on boosting domestic fossil fuel production and withdrawn from the Paris Agreement for a second time.
As the world's second-largest emitter, the US's absence at the federal level creates a notable gap, undermining global momentum by hindering the collective push for stronger Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035. This absence is a clear signal of an anti-climate stance at the federal level, in contrast to the global agenda of decarbonization and green transition. This is reinforced by executive orders highlighting a federal resurgence of fossil fuel activities in the US. Furthermore, the lack of US federal leadership creates a geopolitical vacuum, allowing other major powers (e.g., China, the EU) and emerging economies (e.g., Brazil, India) to exercise greater influence in shaping the terms of climate finance and technological cooperation.
Sub-national Coalition: "America Is All In"
The US is represented through a strong sub-national delegation. Over 100 leaders, including governors (such as California's Gavin Newsom), mayors, and business executives, represented the "America Is All In" coalition.
The presence of US sub-national leaders at COP 30 was backed by recent regulatory action at home, such as California’s carbon market. In September 2025, Governor Newsom signed legislation that extended the state’s cap-and-trade program, rebranding it as Cap-and-Invest through 2045 and aligning it with the state's net-zero target. This move provides long-term market certainty and integrates a layer of stringency by requiring compliance offsets to be accounted for "under the cap," thereby tightening the overall emissions limit.
These non-federal actors represent nearly two-thirds of the US population and three-quarters of the country's GDP. Their presence at COP 30 was designed to demonstrate that American climate action is still robust and continues on the ground, even without federal support. This sub-national effort is aimed at keeping US commitments aligned with Paris Agreement targets, demonstrating a significant divide in climate policy.
ClearBlue is monitoring developments at COP 30. For more information about ClearBlue's advisory services or market intelligence coverage, please contact us.