UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out world leaders for missing the 1.5C climate target, labeling it a moral failure and deadly negligence during a gathering in Belém, Brazil, ahead of the COP30 summit.
Leaders from dozens of countries arrived in the Amazon city this week as scientists confirmed the Paris Agreement’s safer warming limit will be exceeded. Guterres addressed the group, stating humanity failed to keep temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius. He stressed that this shortfall does not erase all hope, urging immediate action to curb emissions.
The UN reported major economies fall short on cutting pollution to prevent severe warming this century. Still, faster steps could shield against the harshest effects. Adding to the urgency, the UN’s weather agency declared 2025 among the hottest years on record.
Brazil aims to show climate action ranks high globally despite missed goals and slowing progress. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the event, warning the chance to avoid catastrophic changes narrows quickly. He criticized extremist groups for dooming future generations.
Figures like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron plan to join in Belém. However, powerhouses such as China and India send only ministers or deputies. The United States skips the event entirely, with President Donald Trump dismissing climate science as a con job.
Hosting in Belém, a city of 1.4 million where many residents live in favelas, sparked debate over inadequate facilities. Hotel prices soared, hindering smaller teams and nonprofits from attending. Local resident Karol Farias, a makeup artist at the refreshed Ver-o-Peso market, sees the summit as a boost for the city’s profile.
The US pullout casts a shadow, alongside Brazil’s recent green light for oil drilling near the Amazon’s mouth. Unmet demands for bold new pledges compound the issues. Brazil recognizes the tough road ahead amid conflicts, trade tensions, fiscal strains, and resistance to environmental measures.
Last month’s failed vote to cut shipping emissions, blocked by US pressure, underscores the challenges. Greenpeace Brazil’s Carolina Pasquali, speaking from the Rainbow Warrior ship in Belém, pressed leaders to demand ambition from the COP to bridge gaps on pressing problems.
Brazil frames the summit as a moment for oversight rather than fresh promises. It rolls out a new fund for rainforest protection and prioritizes adaptation, vital for nations unable to fund defenses against disasters. Malawian diplomat Evans Njewa, leading the Least Developed Countries group, called this support essential, not optional aid.
Developing nations seek firm plans to ramp up climate funding to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. Hosts face calls to address the 1.5C miss, with projections showing 2.5C warming by 2100 even if all pledges hold. Palau diplomat Ilana Seid, heading the Alliance of Small Island States, noted earlier that many countries cannot adapt beyond two degrees.
Groups push to phase out fossil fuels and slash emissions deeper. In Latin America, including Costa Rica’s efforts in sustainable agriculture, regional leaders see potential to guide fair climate responses. The COP30 talks, set for November 10 to 21, mark a critical point to realign global efforts.
World Meteorological Organization chief Celeste Saulo echoed the need to pull temperatures back toward 1.5C by century’s end. Activists demand stronger targets to counter warming’s harms. As negotiations start, the focus turns to finance, transitions, and holding polluters accountable.
Leaders in Belém must confront these realities head-on. The summit’s outcomes could shape whether nations correct course or let failures compound.
