The Big Story 

President Biden will miss the annual COP climate meeting for the first time since taking office, with the White House citing the ongoing Middle East crisis. 

© AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Multiple news outlets reported, citing either a U.S. or White House official, that Biden was not planning to attend COP28, and his public schedule does not list him attending a forum for heads of state slated for this weekend.

The White House declined to confirm or deny these reports, but said that other key climate officials — John Kerry, John Podesta and Ali Zaidi — will travel to the COP28 conference in Dubai.

Amid the reports Biden will not attend, climate activists criticized the president on Monday. 

“This is President Biden missing another opportunity to be a leader on climate change,” said Stevie O’Hanlon, a spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement. 

“After making decisions like approving the Willow Project that are putting the United States on track to produce more oil and gas than ever before it would be wise for him to prove his commitment to climate action,” O’Hanlon added, referencing a massive oil drilling project in the Arctic Biden’s Interior Department approved earlier this year.

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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