Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration terminated employees responsible for policies meant to combat the climate crisis as part of a massive reorganization of the State Department under Secretary Marco Rubio.

The Office of Global Change is part of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and plays a crucial role in the development of US global climate policy and climate aid.

Staff were reportedly told to move out of their offices on Thursday as part of Rubio's restructuring, which has seen thousands of employees laid off across the State Department.

"This will hamstring international climate cooperation at the worst possible time," one official told Politico, requesting anonymity due to a fear of reprisal.

The employee called the move "f***ing dumb," as it eliminated a key negotiating party ahead of the annual COP30 climate in November.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the OGC had been shuttered and called the work that it had been doing "unnecessary" and damaging.

The spokesperson said that the OGC "supported the efforts of previous Administrations to hobble the United States" through its participation in UNFCCC and other agreements.

As a result, the State Department deemed it "unnecessary" and has shut the OGC down entirely, along with the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, another major player in climate negotiations.