With the UN's Cop 30 climate summit scheduled to take place in the Amazonian city of Belem in eight months, the Brazilian government has kicked its preparation plans into high gear.
While the government remains optimistic about the success of the meeting, it also recognizes the challenges presented as some countries shift away from protecting the environment in recent months.
Speaking at a UN meeting this week, the designated president of Cop 30, Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, stressed that the summit needs to market the transition from the negotiation phase to the "action and implementation" phase. Lago has expressed his concern that these summits are failing to address people's concerns.
"The world is tired of seeing documents get signed and not seeing the results of these meetings" he said, adding that one of Brazil's priorities will be to communicate these results.
As part of this mission, Cop 30 plans to focus on increasing climate financing for developing countries, which has long been one of the Brazilian government's priorities. This includes the so-called Baku to Belem Roadmap to 1.3tn, which seeks to boost climate financing from the target stipulated at Cop 29 of $300bn/yr to $1.3 tn/yr. This financing is necessary to guarantee that poorer countries can meet their climate targets.
Brazil is also working with other members of the so-called BRICS countries, which include Russia, India, China and South Africa, to reach a consensus regarding climate financing ahead of the summit. In addition to the Cop presidency, Brazil took over the presidency of the BRICS forum this year and will host the bloc's summit this July in Rio de Janeiro.
The US federal government's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement under President Donald Trump – which will go into effect in January 2026 – will have a strong impact on the effectiveness of the agreement, according to Correa do Lago, but he added that many state and local governments will continue to pursue the climate goals stipulated in the agreement.
Brazil is open to engage with all countries and will work with the US government to find ways to get the country involved in global efforts to combat climate change, Correa do Lago said, adding that one of Brazil's goals at the summit is to demonstrate that multilateralism has to be strengthened. "We need to bring back some optimism to the climate talks, and not only focus on the doomsday scenario, but highlight the solutions to climate problems," he said.
Practical matters
In addition to the climate agenda of the meeting, the Brazilian government is also working overtime to prepare Belem to receive an estimated 40,000 people from 190 countries.
The decision to hold the meeting in the Amazon aims to demonstrate the potential to transform tropical forests into the solution to global climate change, rather than just a source of emissions.
The federal government has earmarked investments of roughly R6bn ($1.03bn) to prepare Belem. Roughly 30 investments are planned in sectors ranging from urban mobility to basic sanitation. Amid concerns that Belem would not be prepared to host the meeting, the governor of Para state, Helder Barbalho, promised that the city would be ready, denying rumors that some of the Cop 30 meetings would be transferred to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo.
The city, which has a population of 1.3mn people, has its work cut out. It needs to more than double its hotel occupancy rate to meet projected demand and needs to conclude investments in transport infrastructure. The government is expanding port capacity to use cruise ships to provide lodging for more than 10pc of the expected visitors.
