When the United Nations Climate Change Conference met for COP 30 in Belém, Brazil, on November 10, 2025, the official American delegation count was zero. CERL Affiliated Faculty member William Burke-White writes at TIME that this absence leaves open a significant vacuum for illiberal powers and petro-states to take control of climate leadership and dealmaking, which will have profound impacts on the energy future of the world.
William Burke-White is a Richard Perry Professor at Perry World House as well as a Professor of Law at Penn Carey Law. He is also a member of CERL’s Affiliated Faculty. Read his bio here.
The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.