UN Leaders Urge Cooperation at COP30

The 30th annual UN climate conference (COP30) has opened in Belem, Brazil, with leaders calling for global unity to tackle the escalating climate crisis. Some 50,000 delegates from over 190 countries are expected to attend the 12-day event near the Brazilian Amazon.

“Your job here is not to fight one another – your job here is to fight this climate crisis, together,” said UN climate chief Simon Stiell.

Stiell stressed that previous climate talks have made progress but warned that emissions reductions must accelerate significantly to avoid catastrophic warming.

“Lamenting is not a strategy. We need solutions,” he said.

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Urgent Warnings from Brazil and Scientists

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the conference by highlighting the immediate threats posed by climate change:

“Climate change is no longer a threat of the future. It is a tragedy of the present.”

He condemned those who undermine climate science and called for a renewed global effort to combat deniers of climate action.

Meanwhile, a coalition of scientists warned that the cryosphere – glaciers, ice sheets, and frozen regions – is destabilising rapidly, urging leaders to prioritize long-term planetary security over short-term national interests.

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Indigenous Voices Demand Action

Indigenous leaders, including Pablo Inuma Flores from Peru, emphasized that those on the frontlines of climate impacts demand action, not just promises.

“We want to make sure that they don’t keep promising, that they will start protecting, because we as Indigenous people are the ones who suffer from these impacts of climate change,” he said.

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US Absence Highlights Global Leadership

The United States is not sending delegates, reflecting President Donald Trump’s anti-climate stance. COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago noted that the absence of US representatives provides an opportunity for developing countries to demonstrate leadership in climate solutions.

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Key Takeaways

• COP30 opens in Belem, Brazil, with 50,000 participants from 190+ countries.
• UN warns current pledges fall short of limiting warming to 1.5°C by 2035.
• Brazilian President Lula da Silva calls climate change a present-day tragedy.
• Scientists warn of rapid destabilization of glaciers and ice sheets.
• Indigenous leaders demand action, not just pledges.
• US absence allows developing nations to showcase climate leadership.