President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reiterated on Thursday (6) that COP30 will be the “COP of truth” and called for “urgent” action to confront the climate crisis. Speaking at the opening of the heads of state summit in Belém, Lula criticized extremist forces that spread falsehoods about environmental issues and celebrated holding the event in the Amazon: “It’s time for the Amazonian peoples to question and lead the climate agenda.”
Lula also acknowledged the progress achieved so far, especially through the Paris Agreement, but stressed that greater efforts are needed to ensure a sustainable future.
“The strength of the Paris Agreement lies in respecting each country’s role in defining its goals. We have moved away from projections that estimated a 5°C increase. The collective effort has produced results, but more is needed. Human and material losses will be severe, and global GDP could shrink by up to 5%. COP30 is the COP of truth. It is a milestone for multilateralism,” he said.
The president also underscored the need to minimize the use of fossil fuels to prevent the planet from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Lula pointed to two major challenges for world leaders.
The first is the discrepancy between “diplomatic halls and real life.”
“People may not know what emissions or metric tons of carbon are, but they feel pollution. They may not know what carbon sinks are, but they recognize the value of forests and oceans. They may not be versed in concessional financing, but they know nothing is done without resources. They may not grasp the meaning of a 1.5°C temperature rise, but they suffer from droughts,” he said.
The second issue, Lula continued, is the “disconnect” between geopolitical realities and climate change. According to him, extremist forces “fabricate falsehoods for electoral gain” and trap future generations in an “outdated model that perpetuates inequality.”
During his 13-minute speech, Lula celebrated hosting COP30 in the Amazon rainforest, calling it the most biodiverse biome on the planet. He noted that humanity has been aware of the climate crisis for 30 years, yet it took 28 COPs for leaders to begin addressing the need to move away from fossil fuels.
“Despite our contradictions, we must reduce fossil fuel use. There is no greater global environmental symbol than this region. This is the most diverse biome on Earth and home to the tension between prosperity and preservation in local communities. It is one of humanity’s greatest assets, and it’s time for the Amazonian peoples to question the model of exploitation and lead the environmental debate,” Lula said.
The president once again urged that fewer resources be devoted to war and more to protecting the environment. He noted that the Brics had already reaffirmed the need for “climate refinancing,” and that the heads of state summit introduces innovations from other multilateral forums into the COP process.
He also acknowledged that governments already share many common goals, but that COP30 must address existing differences among leaders. To do so, he said, the conference should be guided by Indigenous and traditional communities that have always understood sustainability as “a way of living.”
“Government engagement is crucial. Meanwhile, the window of opportunity is closing. Each human being holds up the sky so it doesn’t fall to the ground. We must embrace a new model of development that is fairer, more resilient, and low-carbon. I hope this summit helps push the sky upward,” Lula concluded.
The heads of state summit has no deliberative powers and is held prior to the UN Climate Conference, which will take place from November 10 to 21. The format was designed to expand the time and space for negotiation among countries.
With 143 delegations and 57 heads of state, as well as representatives from international bodies such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank, the meeting is expected to set the tone for agreements across the various areas under discussion.
Among the confirmed attendees are French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and European Council President António Costa. Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend COP30.
