World leaders convened on Thursday in Belém, Brazil, aiming to demonstrate that climate change remains a top global priority despite years of unmet promises, the U.S. withdrawal from climate action, and its refusal to participate in this summit.
اضافة اعلان
Nearly 50 heads of state and government responded to the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to attend the meeting in this Amazon-region city, seen as a prelude to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), set to take place from November 10 to 21.
Delegations from almost every country are attending — except the United States, whose president, Donald Trump, has dismissed climate science as a “hoax.”
The choice of Belém, a city of 1.4 million people — half of whom live in poor or informal settlements — has sparked debate due to its limited infrastructure and the skyrocketing cost of accommodations, which complicates participation for small delegations and NGOs.
Authorities have invested in new facilities and renovations, but less than 24 hours before the summit’s opening, journalists and delegates arriving on Wednesday still found unfinished construction work at the main venue.
Even so, local residents expressed pride. Carol Farias, a 34-year-old beautician shopping at the newly renovated Ver-o-Peso market, told AFP, “The climate conference gives Belém the recognition it deserves. It’s important that attention focuses on our region — on the Amazon.”
The summit has also worsened traffic congestion in Belém, with several roads closed. Taxi driver Achildo Cardoso complained: “I’m not against the conference itself, but Belém lacks the infrastructure to host such an event.”
For security, around 10,000 police officers and 7,500 military personnel have been deployed.
“Enough Talk”
According to the Brazilian presidency, the goal is to restore international cooperation ten years after the Paris Climate Agreement.
Brazil does not aim for new symbolic declarations in Belém but seeks concrete commitments and mechanisms to monitor previous pledges, especially regarding renewable energy development.
President Lula da Silva told AFP and other news agencies, “Enough talk — it’s time to act on what we agreed.”
Brazil plans to launch an investment fund for forest protection and quadruple its production of sustainable fuels. Several other countries are expected to expand their methane reduction commitments.
Prince William and European Leaders
While 170 countries are represented, the United States — the world’s second-largest polluter — will be absent, relieving some participants who feared the Trump administration might obstruct progress, as it recently did with a global plan to reduce shipping emissions.
From Europe, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Prince William will address the summit on Thursday and Friday. The Austrian president withdrew due to high accommodation costs, and most G20 leaders will not attend.
Tensions and Contradictions
Many developing nations remain dissatisfied with the climate finance deal reached last year in Baku, demanding it be reopened for discussion.
“This is not charity — it’s a necessity,” said Evans Njewa, a Malawian diplomat who chairs the Group of Least Developed Countries, in comments to AFP.
Meanwhile, the European Union and the Alliance of Small Island States are urging stronger measures to phase out fossil fuels and curb greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our countries cannot survive a temperature rise beyond 2°C,” said Ilana Said, a diplomat from Palau and chair of the alliance. “Some of our coral island nations will simply disappear.”
Brazil, which seeks to position itself as a bridge between the Global North and South, faces criticism for authorizing oil exploration off the Amazon coast even as it promotes an environmental agenda.
“There is a deep contradiction,” said Angela Kaxuyana, coordinator of the Coalition of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon. “The same governments pledging climate action are negotiating oil extraction in the world’s largest rainforest.”
