Green investors head into historic COP30 on an unexpected high

Renewable energy investments soaring despite White House attacks

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The White House confirmed over the weekend that it won’t send any high-level delegates to the historic COP30 United Nations climate summit next week in Brazil, but green investors gathering in the port city of Belem might not even notice.

That’s because despite the Trump administration’s most sinister efforts to halt investments in climate change, clean energy investment and demand is soaring in the U.S. and especially around the world. Despite predictions all year in the U.S. that renewable investments are dead under this president, the S&P Global Clean Energy Select Index of the 30 largest clean energy companies is up about 50%, led by First Solar FSLR 0.00%↑ and Nextracker NXT 0.00%↑, among others. The iShares Global Clean Energy ETF NAV total return is up 53.16% as of Oct. 31 (see chart above).

As global leaders from 143 nations — including an estimated 57 heads of state — arrive this weekend for the host country’s “leader’s summit” before the official conference starts next week, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be in a buoyant mood.