Using data collected by the Centre for Climate Communication and Data Science (C3DS) at the University of Exeter, the researchers found that Big Oil companies were pouring money into Google ads targeting Brazil. These ads often promote the companies’ investments in green energy, which Renata Alberquerque Ribeiro from Climainfo says distracts from what the real data shows.

“They are committed to promoting their brands as sustainable and investing in the energy transition. When we look at the official data on their investments in energy and fossil fuels, we see that this is not true.”

Petrobras was responsible for 70% of the Big Oil ads in Brazil in 2025. The state-owned Brazilian oil company has been lauded by President Lula as key to Brazil’s green strategy. Its ads echo this message.

“The advertisements try to bring this sense of greatness, like there is something big happening around the energy transition, and Petrobras is the one that is leading,” says Ribeiro.

“But if you evaluate their new work plan, Petrobras reduced investment in the energy transition by 20%. They are decreasing investment in renewable energy and the energy transition, and increasing investment in fossil fuels.”

This week, President Lula has asked his ministers to present a roadmap for Brazil’s green transition within 60 days.

Though COP30 is over, Big Oil companies will still be looking to sway public opinion in their favour. With this new evidence of targeted campaigns by oil companies, should legislators be doing more to rein in their influence over public discussion?

Many of the provinces carry names rooted in Indigenous languages such as Quechua, Mapuche, and Guaraní. Others have Spanish colonial or religious origins.

For example:

Even more interesting translations, such as “Very Pronounced Point Between Two Rivers” (Chaco) or “Prickly Plant Fruit” (Tucumán), come from Indigenous terms describing local landscapes, flora, or cultural practices.

“From the beginning, I did not doubt that we would make the best COP of all COPs,” Lula said.

He also underscored the event’s global visibility, insisting that major cities and governments now recognise Brazil’s leadership on climate and environmental issues. “Today, I am certain that China knows Belém. … Berlin knows Belém … Russia knows Belém,” he told reporters, adding that the summit had also captured attention within Brazil itself.

Lula singled out public engagement as one of the most striking features of this year’s edition. He welcomed the large-scale, orderly participation of activists involved in the “Summit of the Peoples,” a parallel mobilisation whose delegates submitted a consolidated climate action proposal to the government .

COP30 continues in Belém through late November, with organisers reporting some of the highest levels of civil society and Indigenous presence in the summit’s history.