The third day of the Cop30 climate summit begins amid dramatic scenes after Indigenous protestors stormed the conference venue, marking the return of major demonstrations to UN climate talks following years of suppression.
Dramatic Entrance for Climate Activists
The second day of negotiations concluded spectacularly as dozens of Indigenous demonstrators forced their way into the conference centre. Protestors, some wearing traditional headdresses and carrying musical instruments, pulled doors from their hinges and pushed through security scanners while confronting guards before successfully entering the building.
One protestor's sign delivered a powerful message: "Our forests are not for sale" - a clear statement against the commercialisation of natural resources. This bold action signals the resurgence of significant protests at UN climate conferences after several years of restricted demonstrations.
Notable Absence: US Skips Climate Talks
Among the approximately 50,000 attendees at Cop30 - including civil society groups organising rallies, researchers analysing complex documents, and politicians negotiating in private meetings - one delegation remains conspicuously missing: the United States, the world's largest historical greenhouse gas polluter.
Research organisation Carbon Brief confirmed on Tuesday that this marks the first complete US absence from climate negotiations. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly described climate change as a "hoax", withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement in January as part of his comprehensive assault on environmental policies.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who arrived at the summit on Tuesday, delivered scathing criticism of Trump's anti-environmental agenda. "He's an invasive species, he's a wrecking ball president," Newsom stated during a press conference. "He's trying to roll back progress of the last century, he's trying to recreate the 19th century, he's doubling down on stupid."
Mixed Reactions to US Withdrawal
As the most senior US official present at Cop30, Newsom attracted large crowds throughout Tuesday. The governor of the world's fourth-largest economy assured audiences that California remains committed to climate action despite federal withdrawal.
"The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not," Newsom declared during an earlier meeting. "And so we are going to assert ourselves, we're going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space."
International responses to the American absence have varied significantly. Tuvalu's Home Affairs and Environment Minister Maina Vakafua Talia described Trump's withdrawal as demonstrating "a shameful disregard for the rest of the world."
Conversely, Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the United Nations framework convention on climate change, suggested the US absence "actually is a good thing," famously bidding farewell with "Ciao, bambino" following the Paris Agreement withdrawal.
Newsom responded to Figueres' comments during a press gathering: "That's a hell of a statement coming from the mother of the Paris Agreement." The governor argued that Trump's absence "creates opportunity" for local leaders to advance climate policies, stating: "What stands in the way becomes the way. This is an opportunity for us bottom up at the local level to assert ourselves. He pulled away. That's why I pulled up."
Cop30 CEO Ana Toni emphasised the significance of local climate leadership during an evening press conference, noting that more than 185 city representatives discussed adaptation to extreme heat and committed over $20 to concrete action plans and financing solutions.
Research confirms that subnational actors can substantially influence climate policy, including within the United States. However, concerns persist that the Trump administration could undermine this progress, particularly following reports of US officials threatening foreign leaders and proposing tariffs against supporters of shipping carbon fees during recent international maritime meetings.
Activists plan further demonstrations targeting Trump specifically, with a banner reading "resist climate saboteurs" featuring the US president's silhouette. Organiser Denise Robbins warned: "Trump's lack of presence so far is a blessing in disguise, but you never know when he's going to try and botch the talks."
Robbins urged global leaders to resist potential pressure from the United States, emphasising: "No matter what happens in the US, the rest of the world needs to come together and act on climate. It's the only way we'll keep to the goals of the Paris climate agreement."
Additional protests are scheduled throughout the week, both on and off the main conference site, ensuring that climate activism remains at the forefront of Cop30 discussions.
