In a significant final foreign tour as president, Joe Biden is set to visit the Amazon rainforest to highlight his administration's commitment to climate action, just as Donald Trump’s imminent return to power raises fears about potential rollbacks on environmental policies.

President Biden’s visit to Manaus, the first by a sitting U.S. president, precedes the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, where Trump’s climate skepticism and vow to revive fossil fuel industries loom large. With this visit, Biden aims to reinforce his climate legacy in one of the world's most vital ecosystems in the battle against global warming.

Milestone in Climate Finance

Ahead of the historic trip, the White House announced the U.S. had reached its target of $11 billion annually in bilateral climate financing—six times the funding level when Biden took office in 2021. This commitment solidifies the United States as the largest bilateral provider of climate finance globally.

“The fight against climate change has been a defining cause of President Biden’s leadership and presidency,” stated a White House spokesperson.

Amid International Tensions

Biden’s influence appeared muted during the Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stole the spotlight. During talks, Xi expressed hope for a “smooth transition” with Trump’s incoming administration. Trump, now president-elect, has pledged to reverse Biden’s green policies and could again pull the U.S., the world’s second-largest polluter, out of the 2015 Paris Agreement—a move that marked his first presidency. This week, Trump nominated Chris Wright, a climate change skeptic and fracking magnate, as energy secretary, signaling a potential shift back to fossil fuel reliance.

Amazon Fires and Deforestation Crisis

The Amazon, covering nine countries, is a vital carbon sink for the planet. However, it is increasingly vulnerable to deforestation and extreme weather events linked to climate change. This year, the Amazon faced its worst wildfires in nearly 20 years, fueled by a severe drought partly attributed to global warming. A recent study revealed that the rainforest has lost an area the size of Germany and France combined over the past four decades.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has pledged to halt illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. Environmental experts caution that Trump’s fossil fuel agenda could weaken global climate efforts, providing large polluters like China and India with a pretext to slow their own green transitions.

Biden’s Amazon visit is a final effort to cement his climate policies and counteract looming challenges.