Climate summit kicks off in a unique location: the Amazon rainforest
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the world leaders present at the opening ceremony. He said they had failed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "That is a moral failure and deadly negligence," Guterres said. Nevertheless, he believes the world can still limit climate change.
He also took a swipe at the fossil fuel sector. "The fossil fuel industry spends billions on lobbying, misleading the public, and obstructing progress." The time for negotiation is over, Guterres said; it's time for "implementation," that is, carrying out the agreements.
30th Climate SummitBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized that this 30th climate summit will further accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources. And that Brazil will be committed to protecting nature and the climate.
In the run-up to the summit, alarming reports were again pouring in. Earlier this week, it emerged that only a third of the countries had submitted their new climate targets as agreed. It also became clear that the 1.5-degree warming limit, which climate scientists strongly recommend, will be exceeded.
Host country Brazil has ambitious goals for the summit and hopes to launch a new forestry plan, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility. This investment fund for tropical forests aims to combat deforestation.
Chaotic organizationHowever, the number of heads of state and government attending the summit, at fewer than 60, is significantly lower than last year, when leaders from 75 countries attended. The summit is also plagued by chaotic organization and a shortage of hotel rooms.
US President Donald Trump has canceled his attendance; he previously announced his country would withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are expected to attend. Prime Minister Dick Schoof will also be present.
Vice Premier Din Xuexiang is coming from China. The big question is whether China and the EU will take on leadership roles and step into the void left by the US. That's one of the reasons why the European Union was so keen to agree on a new climate target for 2040 yesterday.
Breathe a sigh of reliefBased on this, the EU now also has a new interim target for 2035: a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of between 66 and 72 percent. Both Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will breathe a sigh of relief: they won't arrive empty-handed in Brazil.
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Besides deforestation and the lack of climate plans, the Brazilian city of Belém is once again all about money. Global inequality and the relationship between money and emissions are a thorn in the side of many developing countries. For example, the world's richest 0.1 percent emits more CO2 per day than the poorest 50 percent does in an entire year, according to recent Oxfam Novib calculations.
"Adaptation" is also an important topic, referring to adjusting to the consequences of climate change. Last year, it was agreed that wealthy countries would collectively contribute $300 billion (€260 billion) annually. Developing countries will also have to undergo an energy transition, and they are already suffering damage from weather extremes.
Vague appointmentBut according to experts, the agreement reached in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, is rather vague. Moreover, the amount was far lower than what developing countries consider necessary. Because of this, an appeal was made last year to scale up the amount to $1.3 trillion.
It was also agreed that these promises would be further developed into a "Baku to Belém Roadmap," which is high on the agenda in Brazil. A key question, for example, is how and by whom this money will be paid.
Extreme weather events are getting worse due to climate change, and they're costing lives. We previously made this video about this:
Meanwhile, scientists are pointing to the growing urgency of the climate problem. Forests like those in the Amazon are absorbing less and less CO2. There are fears that the rainforest is approaching a tipping point. Due to deforestation, heat, and drought, the forest may become an additional source of emissions, rather than a CO2 sink.
Tipping points in the climateA report on these kinds of climate tipping points will be presented at the summit. Other examples of potential tipping points include coral reefs suffering from warming ocean waters, the potential stagnation of the AMOC ocean current, and the melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet.
The loss of land ice in Antarctica is leading to sea level rise. According to the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), a recent study shows that the collapse of two large glaciers at the South Pole is now inevitable. This will cause global sea levels to rise by at least 1 meter, and in the Netherlands by as much as 1.25 meters.
