US companies hold the line at climate talks despite President Trump

Despite the US government souring on the global climate agenda ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) summit, American companies did not shy away.

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A Reuters analysis of attendance lists shows there were 60 representatives of Fortune 100 companies at the Brazil event, compared with 50 at last year’s in Baku, Azerbaijan. Still others attended pre-conference events in Brazil’s finance hub Sao Paulo and in Rio de Janeiro.

Tech firms including Microsoft and Google, energy company Occidental Petroleum, carmaker General Motors and lender Citigroup were among those represented on a provisional United Nations list of attendees of the official summit.

“We've seen no discernible change in the engagement of US companies on climate policy over the course of this year. And that was certainly reflected in attendance levels,” said Andrew Wilson, deputy secretary general for policy at the International Chamber of Commerce.