COP30: World leaders gather in Brazil to discuss climate action

Dozens of world leaders are gathering in Belém, Brazil, ahead of the official start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP30.

The two-day meeting, taking place on Thursday and Friday, aims to discuss urgent ways to slow down global warming.

Among the European leaders attending are German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with top officials from the European Union and the United Nations.

The host, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, has called this year’s event the “COP of Truth.

” He said the goal is to achieve concrete results in the global fight against climate change.
However, the political climate remains difficult as wars and economic problems dominate global attention.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, continues to promote fossil fuels and has decided not to send a high-level delegation to COP30.

During the summit, leaders are expected to launch a new multibillion-dollar fund to protect tropical forests—often described as the planet’s “green lungs.”

Despite previous global promises to stop deforestation by 2030, nearly seven million hectares of forest were lost in 2024, according to the environmental group WWF.

The conference will also focus on:
Strengthening international forest fire management.

Supporting Brazil’s sustainable fuels initiative, which aims to quadruple production and use by 2035.
Adopting a joint declaration that addresses hunger, poverty, and climate protection.

COP30 will officially begin on Monday, with about 200 countries and tens of thousands of participants expected to attend.