As negotiations begin at the annual two-week summit, held this year in a city at the mouth of the Amazon, UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged delegates not to “bicker” but to focus on turning ambition into action.
“Your job here is not to fight each other; your job here is to fight this climate crisis together,” he said. “This is the growth story of the 21st century: the economic transformation of our time.”
Cautious optimism as promises increase
A sense of cautious optimism marked the first day of COP30, following the announcement that dozens of new national climate plans – known as NDCs – brought the tally to 113 countries now committed to curbing global warming. Together, they account for nearly 70 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a major step forward in the race to keep temperatures under control.
A preliminary assessment by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which convenes annual COPs, suggests that these commitments could reduce emissions by 12 percent by 2035. This is progress, but still not enough to guarantee the 1.5°C target. The challenge now is to turn promises into actions at a pace that matches the magnitude of the crisis.
The emissions curve begins to bend
In his opening remarks, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the commitments and agreements made by successive COPs were beginning to show impact, and that the global emissions curve was now beginning to tilt downwards.
He acknowledged that much remains to be done, but highlighted that Belém – “home of the mouth of the mighty Amazon River” – can serve as inspiration.
“The Amazon is not a single river, but a vast system supported by more than a thousand tributaries,” he stated. “Similarly, the implementation of the COP results must be driven by multiple streams of international cooperation.”
No country can do it alone
Stiell warned that “no national plan can solve this problem alone,” and emphasized that no country can afford the economic impact of climate disasters that reduce GDP by double digits.
“It makes no economic or political sense,” he said, “to stand by while catastrophic droughts destroy crops and send food prices through the roof.” He described it as “unforgivable” that extreme weather continues to claim millions of lives when proven solutions already exist.
Among the key priorities for COP30, the UN climate chief highlighted:
- A just and orderly transition away from fossil fuels
- Triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency
- Mobilize $1.3 trillion annually for climate action in developing countries
- Approve a global framework of adaptation indicators
- Promote the work program on just transition and the technology implementation program
“We cannot exceed the limit of 1.5°C”
In his opening speech, President Lula warned that “climate change is not a threat for the future, it is a tragedy of the present.”
Citing Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and a tornado in Paraná, the President declared that this was “the COP of truth,” warning that denial and delay are no longer options. “We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed,” he said. “Exceeding 1.5°C is a risk that we cannot take.”
He went on to strongly call for an end to climate denialism, stressing that: “In the age of disinformation, obscurantists reject not only scientific evidence but also the progress of multilateralism. They control algorithms, sow hate, spread fear and attack institutions, science and universities. It is time to impose a new defeat on the deniers. Without the Paris Agreement, the world would be heading towards catastrophic warming of almost 5°C by the end of the century.”
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André Corrêa do Lago (left) of Brazil and president of COP30, greets President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the opening of the conference in Belém.
A path beyond dependence on fossil fuels
President Lula pressed world leaders to adopt ambitious climate commitments and keep adaptation at the center of national strategies. He called for “a roadmap for humanity to overcome, in a fair and planned manner, its dependence on fossil fuels, reverse deforestation and mobilize the resources necessary to achieve it.”
To support that vision, he announced a new fund to support energy transitions in developing countries, financed with revenues from oil exploration.
The Leaders’ Summit, held on November 6 and 7 in Belém, has already mobilized $5.5 billion for the Forever Tropical Forests Fund, a fund designed to reward nations for protecting tropical forests. Other collective commitments include recognizing Indigenous land rights, quadrupling sustainable fuel production, and linking climate action to the fight against hunger, poverty, and environmental racism.
Taking COP30 to the heart of the Amazon was, in Lula’s words, “a difficult but necessary task”, giving the world the opportunity to witness the realities of the most biodiverse biome on the planet, home to more than 50 million people and 400 indigenous groups. “May the serenity of the forest inspire the clarity of thought necessary to see what needs to be done,” he said.
‘Implementation, adaptation and science COP’
Meanwhile, André Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30, presided over the official opening of the summit after a musical performance by members of the Guajajara Indigenous People.
He urged delegates to make this the “COP for implementation, adaptation and economic integration of climate policy and, above all, the COP that listens to and believes in science.”
He concluded by recognizing the crucial role of indigenous peoples as guardians of the Amazon, the region that is now at the center of global attention.