Belem summit faces headwinds
EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said the U.S. pullback from key green commitments marks a “watershed moment” that could dampen momentum ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Without U.S. leadership, he warned, global consensus on emission goals and financing will be harder to maintain. Yet U.S. states, cities, and businesses continue advancing renewable projects that may partly offset federal retrenchment. European negotiators intend to preserve long-term ambition despite political turbulence.

New alliances and industrial opportunity
Hoekstra framed the shift as both challenge and chance. Other nations, he said, can now forge new partnerships in clean manufacturing, grid development, and battery supply chains. Lower solar and wind costs are already redrawing trade patterns. At Belém, attention will turn to practical outcomes—adaptation funds, methane controls, and climate-resilient infrastructure—showing whether multilateral progress can persist without Washington’s lead