COP30 is taking place in the vast Amazon rainforest, which is sometimes called the world’s lungs. Unlike the first 29 COP sessions, which focused on predges and frameworks. COP30 is taking on the world’s climate crisis. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the attendees and asked them to financially and politically support the efforts to stop deforestation and climate change.
The summit is met with adversity with the heavy absence of U.S. delegates
Even though there were some logistical challenges, such as running out of places to put delegates so cruise ships and cat hotels were turned into hotels, the mood in Belém was intense with hope and activism.
President Trump, who took the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, is not sending any leaders, which is worrying to diplomats because it signals climate inaction from one of the world’s biggest polluters.
Since the Paris Accord in 2015, the U.S. has been a key player in climate agreements. Adaptations and shifts would always have come from the American sides to keep the U.S. involvement and political consensus. However, it is clear that the U.S. is no longer the key player it once was.
As TIME has reported, the event was loaded of criticism of the U.S. – subtle and direct. and there are no signs that other countries are waiting for American leadership to proceed.
“We’re not waiting for the U.S.,” said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and a key architect of the Paris Agreement. “The rest of the world is moving forward.”
The Amazon region has lost significant forest cover
There is of course, both symbolic and pragmatic relevance to having discussions in Belém.
Over the last 50 years, the Amazon region has lost 17% of its forest cover due to logging, mining, and agriculture. Choosing to host COP30 in such an ecosystem, adds to the discourse on the need to preserve natural carbon sinks and adds to the impact on Indigenous people and biodiversity.
In the spirit of activism and hope in Belém is unlike any recent COPs held in more restrictive countries. This is due to Brazil being a democratic setting that has allowed vibrant protests and public engagement. The COPs that took place in the more recent years focused on the democratic settings and involve the participation of the people.
The roles of countries like Brazil, France, Germany, and The United Kingdom are on the rise. Lula is set to initiate the “Tropical Forests Forever Fund,” a permanent trust for rainforest conservation to support over 70 developing countries. The Fund aims to obtain private investments to yield a return of $4 for every $1 the government funds.
Youth activists and Indigenous leaders were joined by Greenpeace activists
At the summit, youth activists and Indigenous leaders were joined by Greenpeace activists, who displayed the banners “Action, Justice, Hope” and “Respect the Amazon” on boats arriving at the venue.
Private sector leaders particularly from São Paulo are also engaging with the summit’s schemes. According to TIME, the demand for clean energy is growing, and even with the steps back at the U.S. us taking with regards to climate policy, companies are investing in decarbonization technologies
The new emission trading schemes in Brazil and climate disclosure regulations in Asia show that progress is being made on climate policy even in the absence of U.S. leadership.
As COP30 takes place, Belém’s message is unmistakable: climate change requires consistency, and no country, even the U.S. can set the global pace. The focus on implementation at the summit, along with equity and the stewardship of forests, signifies an understanding that the time for words is over, and action is now paramount. It remains unclear whether the absence of the U.S. will hinder global efforts, or inspire global action.