Lula: 'We will host the best COP in history'

247 - In a statement to the press in the early hours of Thursday (27), at the end of his visit to Japan, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) reinforced Brazil's commitment to holding the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), scheduled to take place in 2025 in Belém (PA). According to Lula, the country intends to organize "the best COP in history", guided by environmental responsibility and effective decisions.

"The COP that we are going to hold in Brazil, we want to do, possibly, as I have said, in the same way that we did the best G20, we are going to do the best BRICS, we are going to do the best COP," the president stated.

The Brazilian Prime Minister's speech countered criticism about the often protocol-driven or performative nature of previous climate meetings. "We don't want a COP that's a festival of people walking around, like a shopping mall for climate products, environmental products, where everyone buys whatever they want, sells whatever they want, without anyone taking responsibility," he said.

Lula made it clear that COP30 will be treated with "seriousness, discussion and serenity," focusing on obtaining solid commitments to curb global warming. He also stressed the urgency of the climate agenda, especially in light of the extreme events recorded around the world in recent years. "If there are deniers who don't believe the world is in trouble, what we saw last year is a demonstration that we are losing control over the world we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the place where we live."

The president criticized the most industrialized countries, which, according to him, have a historical responsibility for climate change, due to accumulating carbon emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution. "The countries that industrialized 250 years ago, 200 years ago, have more responsibility. That's the fact we have to take into account, and that's the fact that those who defend the planet [...] have to fight for."

Lula also highlighted the commitments already made by Brazil, such as the goal of zero deforestation by 2030. “We want to eliminate deforestation in the Cerrado, we want to eliminate deforestation in all Brazilian biomes because it is the only chance we have to guarantee that our people will survive in the 21st century,” he said, addressing the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, directly: “Get ready, comrade Marina Silva [...] because we are going to hold the best COP ever held since the first COP.”

The holding of COP30 in Belém has been considered by the government as a milestone in repositioning Brazil as a global environmental leader, especially after years of setbacks in the area. By reaffirming this ambition, Lula positions the country as a protagonist in building a climate pact that seeks concrete solutions to the planetary environmental crisis.