Brazil's Lula challenges world leaders to prove climate commitment ahead of COP30 in the Amazon: Video
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has challenged global powers to show whether they are truly committed to tackling the climate crisis, ahead of next year’s UN climate summit in the Amazonian city of Belém.
“I want to know if the world’s leaders are really concerned about solving the climate crisis,” Lula said during a visit to Marajó Island on Thursday for Canal Gov. “Because for us to keep our forests standing, those who have been polluting the world far longer than we have need to pay so that we can bring quality of life to the people of the Amazon.”
The president said the COP30 summit, scheduled for November 2025, would be a “summit of truth” rather than an opulent affair — an event aimed at confronting the realities of life in the Amazon, where poverty and fragile infrastructure contrast sharply with the global wealth generated by environmental exploitation.
Lula acknowledged Belém’s logistical challenges but insisted the location was symbolic, arguing that the world must see firsthand the conditions faced by Amazonian communities. “We accepted the challenge to show the world what the Amazon really is,” he said.
The gathering will mark the first time a COP takes place in the Amazon, a region vital to regulating the planet’s climate. Lula has sought to position Brazil — and the broader Global South — as a leading voice demanding that wealthy nations take responsibility for their historical emissions and contribute to sustainable development in the world’s largest rainforest.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
