Something for the weekend - how COP30 suggests Trump 2.0’s anti-climate stance isn’t stopping businesses from striving for Sustainability

Today marks the final day of COP30, which has been a rather muted affair. The biggest news to come out of Belém, Brazil so far - where the 30th annual UN climate meeting is taking place - is the absence of any high-level US Government officials (including – obviously – climate sceptic Donald Trump), and disruption from thousands of protestors angry about government inaction on climate change and forest sell-offs.

Momentum has been gathering around a roadmap to phase out fossil fuel usage, with 82 countries signed up. But without big names (as in, big polluters) like China, India and the US, the impact of any agreement would be minimized.

Based on Trump 2.0’s actions so far around energy use, there is zero chance of the US adding its name to an anti-fossil fuel treaty. In October, the US Department of Energy (DOE) canceled $7.6 billion in clean-energy awards, terminating 223 ...