Biden won’t attend COP28 climate summit: officials

President Joe Biden will miss the latest UN climate summit in Dubai, after two years of attending the talks in hopes of highlighting US leadership, a US official said Sunday. Some 70,000 people including national leaders and Pope Francis are expected at COP28 as it opens Thursday.

Schedules released by the White House for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris showed neither heading to Dubai this week. Biden's engagements include a trip to Colorado to highlight US investment in wind energy, a meeting with the president of Angola and the lighting of the national Christmas tree.

AdvertisiThe official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Biden administration was still discussing whether to send a top-level official to Dubai.

John Kerry, the US climate envoy and former secretary of state and senator, will be leading day-to-day negotiations for the United States. However, the official did not give a reason for Biden's decision. Until Biden, it was not customary for the US president to attend each COP summit.