Krishnamoorthi, Castor Send Letter to Secretary Rubio Over U.S. Withdrawal from COP30 and Growing PRC Influence on Global Climate Policy

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, and Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-FL), a Member of the Select Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising concerns over the Administration’s decision to withdraw the United States from preparations for—and participation in—the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. In the letter, the lawmakers warn that the move “undermines our national interests and opens the door for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to dictate the international agenda on advanced energy manufacturing, energy cooperation, and environmental standards.”

The letter further highlights that closing the State Department’s Office of Global Change and firing the last U.S. climate negotiators leaves the nation without any dedicated personnel to represent American interests in global climate and energy negotiations for the first time in more than 30 years. The Members note that “the United States is signaling to the world that, when it comes to global leadership on climate and energy, it would rather stand on the sidelines than lead. As the U.S. disengages, the PRC is moving to present themselves as a replacement partner.”

The letter also draws attention to the Administration’s refusal to send a delegation to the U.N. Subsidiary Bodies meeting in Bonn (SB 62) earlier this year, marking the first time in decades that the United States did not participate in the midyear climate negotiations.

The lawmakers emphasize that “global agreements are not symbolic. They drive innovation, set standards, and guide national policy.” He warns that allowing the PRC—already the world’s largest emitter—to assume greater leadership in international energy and environmental governance risks ceding strategic ground in a global clean-energy market projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2035.

The Members request that Secretary Rubio respond to several questions—regarding which offices, if any, are now responsible for climate negotiations; the rationale for not sending a delegation to COP30; and how the Administration plans to meet U.S. obligations under the UNFCCC—no later than December 12, 2025.

The letter is available here.