U.S. official confirms Biden’s absence from COP28

U.S. President Joe Biden will not attend the latest UN climate summit in Dubai, despite his previous participation in the talks for two years to demonstrate US leadership, according to an official on Sunday.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will not go to Dubai this week, according to the White House. Biden’s activities involve visiting Colorado to emphasise U.S. investment in wind energy, meeting with Angola’s president and lighting the national Christmas tree.

Also, it was verified by a U.S. official that the Biden administration was continuing to debate if they should dispatch a high-ranking official to Dubai.

John Kerry, the U.S. climate representative and ex-secretary of state and senator, will be leading day-to-day negotiations for the United States.

Biden has prioritised climate change on a domestic level with his signature legislative achievement, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, channelling billions of dollars to the green economy, including incentives for electric vehicles.

Before COP28, Kerry had long discussions with Xie Zhenhua, who is his Chinese equivalent. The two negotiators assured that their nations, which are the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, would cooperate for advancement in Dubai.