From pledges to action – Climate conference opens in Brazil with call for accelerated climate action

As negotiations begin at the annual two-week summit, held this year in Belém, a city at the mouth of the Amazon River, in Brazil, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Steele urged delegates to focus on turning ambition into action. And he said: “Your mission here is not to fight each other – your mission here is to fight this climate crisis, together.” He added: ““This is the growth story of the 21st century – the economic transformation of our time.”

Cautious optimism

The conference opened in an atmosphere of cautious optimism. Recent days have witnessed the submission of dozens of new national climate plans, bringing the number of countries that have announced their commitment to measures to limit global warming to 113 countries. As of October, only 64 countries had submitted their NDCs, and together these countries account for 69% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

A preliminary assessment by the UNFCCC Secretariat indicated that with this latest update, emissions could fall by 12% by 2035.

“We cannot exceed the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold.”

In his opening remarks, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva warned that… “Climate change is not a threat to the future, but rather a tragedy of the present.” He cited the recent Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean and the hurricane that struck the Brazilian state of Parana as stark reminders of the crisis.

He added: “It will be Conference of the Parties At the 30th UNFCCC Truth Conference. In the age of disinformation, obscurantists not only reject scientific evidence but also the progress of pluralism. They control algorithms, sow hatred, spread fear, and attack institutions, science and universities. “The time has come to impose a new defeat on the deniers.”

The Brazilian president warned that without the Paris Agreement, “the world would be heading towards a catastrophic temperature rise of nearly 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed. At the current pace, we are still heading to more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Exceeding this threshold is a risk we cannot afford.”

A path beyond dependence on fossil fuels

President Lula urged world leaders to adopt ambitious nationally determined contributions and ensure that climate adaptation remains at the core of national strategies. He called to “A roadmap for humanity to overcome, in a just and planned way, its dependence on fossil fuels, reverse deforestation, and mobilize the resources needed to do so.”

He also announced the establishment of a fund to support the energy transition in developing countries, financed by proceeds from oil exploration.

Progress made during the Leaders Summit

The Brazilian President confirmed that the Leaders’ Summit, held on November 6-7 in Belém, has already mobilized $5.5 billion for the Enduring Tropical Forest Fund, a fund launched by Brazil to reward countries for protecting rainforests.

Other collective commitments included recognizing indigenous peoples’ land rights, quadrupling sustainable fuel production, and aligning climate action with the fight against hunger, poverty and environmental racism.

Mr Lula said bringing the COP to the heart of the Amazon was “A difficult but necessary task” It allows the world to witness first-hand the realities of the most biologically diverse region on the planet – home to more than 50 million people and 400 indigenous groups.

He added: “I hope the quiet of the forest will inspire the clarity of thought needed to see what needs to be done.”

Emissions are falling

For his part, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Simon Steele, said that the commitments and agreements made at successive conferences of the parties have begun to bear fruit, as the global emissions curve has begun to decline. Mr Steele acknowledged that there was still a lot of work to do, but stressed that Belem – “Home of the mouth of the mighty Amazon River” – It can be an inspiration.

And he said: “The Amazon is not a single river, but a vast system supported by more than a thousand tributaries. Likewise, implementation of the COP outcomes must be driven by multiple tracks of international cooperation.”

No country can solve this problem alone

Steele confirmed that “No national plan can solve this problem alone,” He added, “No country in the world can bear the cost of climate disasters that reduce national GDP by double digits.” He described the continuation of severe weather phenomena in claiming the lives of millions despite the existence of effective solutions “Inexcusable.”

And he said: “It makes no sense – economically or politically – to stand idly by while catastrophic droughts destroy crops and food prices soar.”

Among the key negotiating priorities highlighted by Mr. Steele are:

⬅️A fair and orderly transition away from fossil fuels;

⬅️Tripling the capacity of renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency;

⬅️ Mobilize $1.3 trillion annually for climate action in developing countries;

⬅️Approval of a new global framework for adaptation indicators;

⬅️Promoting an action program on just transition and technology implementation programme.

“Conference on Implementation, Adaptation and Science”

Andre Correa do Lago, President of the COP30, officially opened the conference after a musical performance by members of the indigenous people of Guajajara. He urged the delegates to make this conference “A COP that listens to and believes in the science.”

He concluded by recognizing the pivotal role of indigenous peoples as protectors of the Amazon – a region that is now the focus of the world’s attention.