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The Star
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Brazil dismisses calls to relocate COP30 amid Amazon city price surge
FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows the "Parque da Cidade", one of the principal venues to host COP30 in November, in Belem, Brazil June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Marx Vasconcelos/File Photo BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil is resisting calls to move the global COP30 climate summit, scheduled for November, out of Belem, even as it faces mounting pressure over soaring accommodation prices in the Amazonian city. "The COP will be in Belem, the leaders' summit will be in Belem," Andre Correa do Lago, the president of COP30, told reporters on Friday. "There is no plan B." Nearly every government in the world will gather at the annual U.N. summit to negotiate their joint efforts to curb climate change. But concerns aboutlogistics, rather than global climate policy,have dominated pre-summit chatter. Developing countries have warned that they cannot afford Belem'saccommodation prices, which have soared amid a shortage of rooms. Last week, representatives of several countries pressured Brazil to move the conference away from Belem during an emergency meeting at the United Nations' climate bureau,Correa do Lago said. That brought to a head a steady stream of concerns raised by members of the U.N. climate secretariat, known as UNFCCC, with Brazil over the price and lack of accommodation in Belem for months. At the same meeting of the COP bureau last month, the UNFCCC told participants it had provided advice to Brazil on potentially moving parts of COP30 – such as the section where world leaders speak – out of Belem to ease pressure on accommodation, according to a summary of the COP bureau meeting, seen byReuters. Brazil rejected the idea, the summary said. The UNFCCC declined to comment. The Brazilian Presidency said in a statement "there is no discussion regarding a change in the host city for COP-30" and the Brazilian government "reiterates its commitment to holding a comprehensive, inclusive, and accessible climate conference." Hotels in Belem are few, and despite requests from the government, are charging 10 or even 15 times what they charge regularly, Correa do Lago said. "Maybe the hotels aren't aware of the crisis they are creating," he added. Countries are not just concerned about accommodation. They are also worried about whether rooms being offered to delegations will be close enough together so negotiations can run smoothly, whether there will be enough food options and whether local airports will be able to handle the influx of visitors. But Brazil has maintained that preparations for the conference are on track, with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva showing no willingness to backtrack on his promise to present the Amazon rainforest to the world at COP30. His administration has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into improving infrastructure in Belem to host the conference, helping state Governor Helder Barbalho attract public and foreign investment. An old political ally, Barbalho helped Lula win the election in Pará in 2022, and will be a key element for the president's campaign next year. Lula and Barbalho did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Brazil has offered 10 to 15 rooms at prices of up to $220 a night to delegations of countries considered to be among the least developed in the world. But that amount exceeds the $146 the United Nations offers to diplomats of such countries to pay for accommodation, meals and transport. Infrastructure issues, Correa do Lago told reporters on Friday, "are interfering at a time, deep down, we should be using to discuss substantive issues." On Friday, Brazil opened a booking platform to the public. On Monday morning, the website showed a wait list of almost 2,000 people, but Reuters was able to access it after waiting an hour. It showed rates from $360to $4,400 a night. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia and Kate Abnett in Brussels, writing by Manuela Andreoni; Editing by Christian Plumb and Sandra Maler)
DW
17-07-2025
- Politics
- DW
Keeping climate relevant in a noisy world – DW – 07/17/2025
Charged with presiding over this year's international climate summit, Andre Correa do Lago says action to prevent the planet heating even further is critical. Even when the world is distracted by war and politics. Appointing someone to head the UN's annual climate talks can spark outrage among climate campaigners. But that seemed to be less of an issue this year when Brazilian veteran diplomat Andre Correa do Lago was handed the role. With more than two decades of experience working in sustainability, he is widely seen as a logical pick for the November talks to be held in the Amazon. But regardless of his expertise at the negotiating table, he says conflict, trade wars and a political shift to the right are all making climate diplomacy more challenging. "It is a complex context," he explained, speaking exclusively to DW on the sidelines of the recent interim climate conference in Bonn. "But all presidents of COPs say that their COP is happening at a very special and difficult moment." An important issue for him is making sure the issue of climate change remains relevant. Particularly given that there are so many other things going on "that affect people's lives more directly, that affect politicians more directly, and that affect the economy more directly." Indeed, Russia's war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, and US-imposed trade tariffs have increasingly dominated headlines and political agendas. But that does not mean temperature rise is slowing. "Unfortunately, we are having wars, we're having very serious things happening, but in spite of that, climate change is progressing, and climate change is a bigger and bigger threat," he said. That threat has many different faces. Already this year heatwaves, intensified by climate change, have led to more than a thousand deaths in Europe, fueled wildfires in the US, Canada, Turkey and South Korea and worsened flooding in Argentina, parts of Africa, and most recently in Texas. There is pressure is on the Brazilian presidency under Correa do Lago to drive significant progress in this year's summit — which comes a decade after the inception of the Paris Agreement. Seen at the time as a big step towards tackling the climate crisis, the accord obliges governments to take action on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the planet to heat up. But with months to go until the summit kicks off in the Brazilian city of Belem, the country itself has come under scrutiny. It is selling off oil exploration rights — including at 19 sites around the mouth of the Amazon River. Critics say this raises questions around Brazil's own commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels. But Correa do Lago is pragmatic on the issue, saying that it is up to each country to determine its path away from coal, oil and gas. "Brazil is quite convinced that we can use some of the wealth that the oil brings to us to accelerate the transition," he said. "We don't have the perfect answer, but we have a very fair debate in the country about what we do with the oil that we may have." That thinking, however, is not in line with a roadmap published by the autonomous intergovernmental International Energy Agency. Back in 2021, the IEA said that there could be no new commitments for oil and gas fields if the world was stay below the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warming threshold agreed at the 2015 Paris talks. But June 2024 was the twelfth consecutive month measuring global surface temperatures of at least 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial conditions. That does not mean the target has been breached, but many scientists predict it will happen in the next few years. This would lead to more extreme heat, devastating droughts and more intense storms. Still, Correa do Lago says the 1.5 limit remains a possibility, even if it means first overshooting the goal and using technology to bring the temperature back down. But, he said, it will need "everybody on board doing the right thing". Something that currently seems unlikely. While the US is among the 195 signatories to the Paris Agreement, when President Donald Trump took office in January, he announced his plans to withdraw his country from the accord. Correa do Lago sees the departure of the world's second biggest emitter as a setback for the climate agenda. "The US quitting is something that really complicates many things from a political point of view." But he welcomed the fact that some US states, cities and businesses remain committed to the international accord. "When we think that the US has left the Paris Accord, it's the US central government," Correa do Lago added. "There are some evaluations that believe that more than 35 states in the US will continue to follow the Paris Accord and will continue to have their state laws [...] this would correspond to almost 70% of the US economy." Correa do Lago sees widespread resistance to necessary economic changes in countries across the world, but believes it is shortsighted to decouple the economy from climate action. Describing himself as "an optimist," he said there is already evidence that taking action against runaway temperature rise "can bring economic growth, can bring more jobs." Nonetheless, it is "not yet very well incorporated into full policies of governments." He would like to see climate integrated into economics, finance and other sectors, adding that taking a step towards a less siloed approach would be a focus for the next climate summit. "This is one of our main objectives – to translate how this [COP] process has generated enough information, enough progress, to be able to think of a new economy in which you can mainstream climate change."
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Countries agree on 10% UN climate budget rise
Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. Photo REUTERS Countries agreed on Thursday to increase the UN climate body's budget by 10% for the next two years, a move the body welcomed as a commitment by governments to work together to address on climate change, with China's contribution rising. The deal, agreed by nearly 200 countries - from Japan to Saudi Arabia, to small island nations like Fiji - at UN climate negotiations in Bonn, comes despite major funding cuts at other UN agencies, triggered in part by the US slashing its contributions, and political pushback on ambitious climate policies in European countries. Countries agreed to a core budget of 81.5 million euros for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) over 2026-2027, up 10% from 2024-2025. The core budget is funded by government contributions. The deal includes an increase in China's contribution, reflecting the country's economic growth. China, the world's second-biggest economy, would cover 20% of the new budget, up from 15% previously.
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Countries agree 10% increase for UN climate budget
FILE PHOTO: Simon Stiell, Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), speaks during an event with the newly announced COP30 President Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, in Brasilia, Brazil February 6, 2025. REUTERS/Andressa Anholete/File Photo BONN - Countries agreed on Thursday to increase the U.N. climate body's budget by 10% for the next two years, a move the body welcomed as a commitment by governments to work together to address on climate change, with China's contribution rising. The deal, agreed by nearly 200 countries - from Japan to Saudi Arabia, to small island nations like Fiji - at U.N. climate negotiations in Bonn, comes despite major funding cuts at other U.N. agencies, triggered in part by the U.S. slashing its contributions, and political pushback on ambitious climate policies in European countries. Countries agreed to a core budget of 81.5 million euros for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) over 2026-2027, up 10% from 2024-2025. The core budget is funded by government contributions. The deal includes an increase in China's contribution, reflecting the country's economic growth. China, the world's second-biggest economy, would cover 20% of the new budget, up from 15% previously. Only the United States, the world's biggest economy, was allocated a bigger share, of 22%. However, President Donald Trump quit the U.N. Paris climate agreement and halted international climate funding. Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged to cover the U.S. contribution to the UNFCCC budget. The U.S. did not attend the U.N. climate talks this week in Bonn, Germany where the budget was approved. UN climate chief Simon Stiell welcomed the increase as "a clear signal that governments continue to see U.N.-convened climate cooperation as essential, even in difficult times." The UNFCCC runs annual climate negotiations among countries and helps implement deals that are made - including the 2015 Paris Agreement, which commits nearly all nations to limit global warming. The body has faced a severe budget shortfall in recent years, as major donors including China and the U.S. had not paid on time, prompting the body to cut costs including by cancelling some events. The UNFCC's running costs and headcount - its core budget funded 181 staff in 2025 - are smaller than some other U.N. bodies facing sharp funding cuts, such as the U.N. trade and development agency's roughly 400 staff. Meanwhile, the U.N. Secretariat, the global body's executive arm, is preparing to slash its $3.7 billion budget by 20%, according to an internal memo. REUTERS Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
The National
26-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Race to host next year's Cop heats up as Brazil urges focus on action over ambition
As the race to host Cop31 intensifies – with Australia and Turkey emerging as leading contenders – this year's host, Brazil, is calling for the focus to shift from pledges to implementation. Cop30 will be held in Belem in November but leading climate figures have raised concerns about what can be achieved amid an underwhelming build-up, with many members yet to submit their updated climate action plans. Brazil's President-Designate for Cop30, Andre Correa do Lago, said the summit, being hosted in the country's Amazon region, will prioritise an 'intensified action agenda' focused on real-world implementation. On Wednesday, the Australian government announced that it is committed to its bid to host Cop31 'in partnership with the Pacific in 2026". Meanwhile, Turkish officials are also making their intentions known with the seaside city of Antalya touted as a likely venue. Speaking at a London Climate Action Week, Mr Correa do Lago warned that the world needs to find a new way of 'incorporating the climate agenda in these times of crisis, because we are basically always in times of crisis'. Time for implementation 'We believe that the climate urgency should inspire all to do whatever they can in their area and have an impact on this fight,' he added. The Global Ethical Stocktake, a Brazilian initiative, is designed to hold governments and non-state actors accountable for climate justice, equity and emission cuts. Mr Correa do Lago said Cop30's goals are not to rewrite what was agreed in Paris or Dubai. 'Many people want to reiterate what was decided two years ago. Let's not reiterate. Let's implement it,' he said. He said showcasing economic benefits is vital, citing falling solar costs in China enabling clean energy projects in Africa, and Brazil's opportunity to 'leapfrog' carbon-intensive development pathways by leveraging its many renewable energy resources. Finance on the front lines The importance of finance in tackling the climate crisis was echoed on Thursday in Abu Dhabi, where the UAE Central Bank convened leading financial policymakers at its Climate Finance Forum. Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama warned that climate risks pose 'macro-financial challenges' to economies and institutions. 'The widespread flooding we witnessed in the UAE last year was the heaviest in 75 years,' he said. The UAE's green finance strategy focuses on 'people, policies and processes', including the rollout of Shariah-compliant climate tools, climate stress testing, and embedding sustainability into financial supervision. Dr Amna Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, described the country's net-zero approach as 'pro-growth and pro-climate,' noting that oil and gas represent less than 30 per cent of the economy – down from 80 per cent a decade ago. 'We're directing climate finance to drive green opportunities at home and abroad,' she said. The private sector, too, is transforming. Abdulaziz Al Ghurair, Chair of the UAE Banks Federation, called the current moment 'transformational'.
