Secretary of State Marco Rubio is dismantling a key climate diplomacy office, a move that is throwing U.S. international environmental efforts into disarray just months ahead of critical global talks.

On Thursday, staff at the Office of Global Change were verbally informed that the unit, which has overseen U.S. engagement in international climate negotiations, would be dissolved, according to three individuals who requested anonymity out of fear of professional retaliation, Politico reports.

The unexpected announcement left employees reeling, with no clear timeline for when the closure would be finalized.

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One State Department official warned that the decision could severely undermine America’s position at the upcoming COP30 climate summit, calling it “the worst possible time” to retreat from the global stage, the report notes.

Another source criticized the move as strategically “dumb,” suggesting it would create a leadership vacuum that China could exploit.

A spokesperson for the State Department confirmed to Politico that eliminating the office aligns with President Donald Trump‘s mandate to withdraw from international climate agreements. In fact, the Office of Global Change had supported initiatives that hobbled U.S. interests under prior administrations and was no longer necessary under the current policy direction, the report further adds.

The closure of the Office of Global Change follows the earlier elimination of the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, a separate but closely linked unit, as part of a broader State Department restructuring plan announced by Rubio earlier this week.

Both offices had played major roles in steering U.S. efforts related to the Paris Agreement and other global climate initiatives.

While Trump has taken steps to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, the U.S. remains a participant in the underlying UN treaty framework.

It remains unclear whether the United States will dispatch any delegation to the COP30 summit scheduled to be held in Brazil this November.

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