Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva kicked off the Cop30 climate summit on Thursday, urging leaders to turn promises into action while highlighting his country’s work within the Brics group to reaffirm the importance of climate finance, capacity building and technology transfer in global cooperation.
The meeting comes amid the notable absence by the United States. President Donald Trump, who ordered the country’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in January, declined an invitation from Lula in October to attend the conference.
Washington also opted not to send any diplomats to the talks, a stark contrast to the robust Chinese delegation of 300 members from various ministries as Beijing seeks to fill the void left by the US in climate negotiations.
Speaking in Belem, deep in the Amazon rainforest, Lula called the gathering “the COP of truth,” and said nations must decide whether they have the courage and determination to change course.
He framed the conference as a decisive moment for governments to bridge the gap between political speeches and the worsening effects of droughts, floods and deforestation.
The Brazilian leader said the Amazon, home to millions of people and unmatched biodiversity, embodies the tension between prosperity and preservation. He said its residents live daily with the consequences of climate change and have the right to demand stronger commitments from the rest of the world.
