WASHINGTON (NEWSnet) — Vice President Kamala Harris will join other world leaders in Dubai for the annual United Nations conference on climate change, the White House said Wednesday.

This weekend’s trip for COP28 appears to have been hastily arranged since her staff recently said she had no plans to attend.

White House officials did not explain the change in plans, but the announcement comes after criticism of Joe Biden’s decision to skip the summit. 

Harris’ participation will be brief as she’s scheduled to leave Washington on Friday and return Sunday. She’s expected to speak publicly on Saturday.

The White House says the visit aligns with Harris' recent efforts to ramp up public messaging on climate.

In recent months, the vice president has attended climate-related events, like talking to students and young voters.

The summit runs through the next two weeks with several countries hoping to agree on new ways to keep the planet from heating too much by the end of the century.

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