COP30 President highlights Brazil as a protagonist in global climate negotiations
“Few people in the world have any idea of the size of the Amazon. Bringing the world to the Amazon will allow us to show it as it is today, and that it is a solution for the climate,” said André Corrêa do Lago
By Leandro Molina | leandro.molina@presidencia.gov.br
COP30 Amazonia (the United Nations Climate Change Conference) will be held in November in the city of Belém do Pará, Brazil. To explain the expectations and challenges that are inherent to the conference, Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30, says that the event promises to be a milestone in global climate negotiations. According to the ambassador, Brazil, as host country, assumes a central role in discussions regarding sustainable development.
In an exclusive interview, the ambassador assessed that COP30 will take place at a decisive moment for the climate agenda, and that it “will be the most important event of the year within the UN, bringing together representatives from 196 countries”. In addition, Corrêa highlights that the COP in Belém marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, a historic commitment to limit the rise in global temperature.
The President of COP30 emphasized that 2024 has already seen temperatures that are higher than the 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, reiterating the urgency of taking concrete measures. "We are facing exceptional circumstances, and the conference will be impacted by decisions made by key countries such as the United States, which recently announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement," he said.
Check out below the full interview with Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30 Amazonia:
What are the main expectations for COP30 in Belém?
André Corrêa do Lago: Look, the conference, as many people already know, is the most important United Nations conference of the year. It brings together a huge number of people, 196 countries, and has been taking place every year for 30 years. There is a great expectation that Brazil, which has traditionally been a leader in the field of climate change, environmental and sustainable development negotiations, may lead this big group of countries in truly finding answers to many of the questions the world is asking about how we are going to combat climate change.
How is Brazil preparing to take on this role of leadership in a COP that is so focused on sustainable development at a global level?
André Corrêa do Lago: Brazil has certain advantages, one of which is that we have a long tradition of diplomacy in this area, and we negotiate very decisively. There is also another dimension, however: this government is completely committed to this agenda. We are one of the countries in which the Ministry of Finance is most involved, for example, in the Ecological Transformation Plan. Brazil’s population welcomes the sustainable development agenda, and the country is also a world leader in the social dimension, one of the three pillars of sustainable development, which is the fight against poverty and inequality.
How important is it for Belém to host COP30?
André Corrêa do Lago: We have to remember that the Amazon is one of the greatest symbols of nature in the world — and we also know that deforestation and fires in the Amazon are the source of one of the most negative images that Brazil has abroad. In two years, this government has managed to reduce deforestation in an impressive way. Very few people in the world have any idea of the size of the Amazon. So bringing the world to the Amazon will allow us to show the Amazon as it is today, and that it is a solution for the climate.
How does the Brazilian presidency intend to overcome geopolitical and economic adversities, and what are the expected deliverables for COP30?
André Corrêa do Lago: The work is very focused on finding what we can do together. But what is the reality? The circumstances of each country are very different. The impacts of combating climate change in each country are also very different. This exercise of finding a common path begins within our country, where there are challenges of wealth and poverty. We are so diverse that we understand each other.
How does Brazil intend to approach the debate regarding the social impacts of COP30?
André Corrêa do Lago: The definition of sustainable development is the balance between the three pillars — that is: the economic, the social and the environmental. Regarding the social issue, this government has demonstrated its commitment very clearly, and this is one of President Lula’s historic struggles. The environmental pillar in Brazil is also very clear, not only for the Amazon, but regarding the consequences of climate change as well. Brazil has presented many solutions, and this is also what the world wants to hear. I believe there is a very rich agenda for us to develop and work with other countries; some have greater differences with Brazil, but the truth is that we always end up meeting on several topics.
Is it possible to talk about specific commitments for agreements?
André Corrêa do Lago: We have a series of negotiations that have already been decided that will have to be in Belém where we will address m. We still have many ways to approach this, however. We need to have great coordination between the government and Brazilian civil society so that we can truly define what the COP we want will be like.
As a final message, what can Brazilians expect from COP30?
André Corrêa do Lago: All these major trends, these major discussions that are happening in the world, in fact value Brazil and are giving it a historic opportunity to position itself in the world in a way that we have never been able to before. We have never been at the center of some of the most important issues that are happening in the world. I believe that with President Lula's leadership we will be able to use this COP to make Brazil a much better country — but above all to make Brazil a country that shows the world various solutions, various directions that, thanks to Brazil's diversity, we can offer.