At an Al Gore event, COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago advocates for incorporating climate change policies into the economy

The ambassador emphasized that the challenge is now to dismantle disinformation on the subject and rely on multilateralism to strengthen sustainable development actions. The former U.S. Vice President, meanwhile, praised the Global Ethical Stocktake created by the Brazilian presidency at COP30

By Maiva D’Auria | COP30

On Friday, August 15, the Climate Reality Project hosted an event in Rio de Janeiro led by former U.S. Vice President—and Nobel Peace Prize laureate—Al Gore. In attendance, COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago stated: “The new challenge is that some people are claiming that incorporating climate concerns into the economy will be bad for it. That is not true.”

The ambassador emphasized the importance of integrating mechanisms that address climate change in national budgets to foster development. "We must publicize the positive examples showing that this is good for the economy, employment, and quality of life far more. This is a major effort that we will need to undertake over the next two months before the COP,” he reiterated.

Furthermore, the COP30 President advocated for the strengthening of multilateralism as a means of making progress in building sustainable economies, highlighting the crucial role of financial organizations' participation in this process. "We must go beyond the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — and the Paris Agreement — to implement the agreed-upon actions. We need the World Bank, all the other development banks, and all institutions to collaborate and prioritize climate action because climate change affects us all,” he stated.

The event, which took place from August 15 to 17, aimed to mobilize leaders and increase pressure for tangible climate action.

Another key issue addressed was the energy transition, which involves reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas—all which are responsible for large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions—and prioritizing clean and renewable sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower. Ambassador Corrêa do Lago said that this subject is already on the COP30 agenda as one of the priority topics that require implementation and new solutions. He highlighted that this is a collective effort that requires financial resources.

“We know that solving these problems involves many changes in the economy, and we need to collectively discuss what is constructive for all countries and create mechanisms so these alliances can work well,” he said. “Here in Brasil, we have already done the hardest part, which is having 95% of our energy be renewable,” added the ambassador.

Leadership Circles

In the debate, Al Gore praised Brasil’s leadership at COP30 and highlighted the unprecedented nature of the Global Ethical Stocktake. “I am very impressed that, under Marina Silva’s leadership, Brasil innovated with the Global Ethical Stocktake. We’ve had 29 COPs, and no one before had addressed the ethical issues,” he noted.

Mr. André Corrêa do Lago explained that the initiative is part of a total of four leadership circles, which contribute to debates on climate finance, amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, reflecting on climate governance, and mobilizing around a new global ethic.

Accommodation

Concerns about accommodations in Belém for COP30 were also on the agenda. The conference president guaranteed the event’s feasibility.

“I can assure you that this is being handled and that there will be places at reasonable prices in Belém. It is there that we will build, together, the world we want to live in,” Mr. concluded Corrêa do Lago.