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Summary
Amid escalating geopolitical tensions and challenges in climate cooperation, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, the president of Brazil’s COP30, emphasized the necessity for global unity in addressing climate change during his inaugural address at the UN.
He highlighted Brazil’s commitment to multilateralism and the importance of the Paris Agreement, especially given the backdrop of the United States’ withdrawal from the climate accord under President Trump.
Highlights
- 🌍 Global Unity Urged: Brazil’s COP30 president calls for cooperative efforts to tackle climate change.
- 💰 Climate Finance Disparities: Developing countries express dissatisfaction over unmet funding expectations.
- 🌡️ Alarming Climate Data: February 2025 marked as the third-warmest month globally, highlighting the urgency of climate action.
- 🔄 Fossil Fuel Transition: Previous commitments to transition from fossil fuels lack concrete follow-through.
- 🌱 Sustainable Development: Emphasis on integrating climate action with economic growth and sustainability.
- 🏙️ Hosting Challenges: Concerns arise regarding Belém’s infrastructure to accommodate COP30 delegates.
- 🔑 NDC Submission Deadline: Major emitters are urged to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30.
Amid tensions in the West over cuts to development funding and souring US relationships with its allies, Brazil’s COP30 president, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, defended multilateralism and the legacy of UN climate talks in his first address as chief of this year’s climate summit.
On Wednesday, Corrêa do Lago told a plenary meeting at UN headquarters in New York he hopes Brazil can provide a “decisive impulse” in protecting the “institutional legacy we built together over three decades”, as well as accelerating implementation of the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.
“Brazil has the firm conviction that there is no future progress for humanity without deep, rapid and sustained cooperation among all countries,” said the veteran Brazilian diplomat, who also highlighted the outcomes of the previous two COPs.
His comments hold significance as climate-change sceptic US President Donald Trump has kick-started the process to pull the US out of the global climate accord it adopted in 2015, backed the expansion of fossil fuel production on American soil, and refused to deliver promised climate finance.
On Thursday, the EU’s climate information service Copernicus said February 2025 was the third-warmest February globally, with the average temperature reaching 1.59 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, and the extent of sea ice in both polar regions falling to a new all-time minimum that month.
Read the full post at Climate Home News.
