The 30th UN climate conference (COP30) opened in Brazil on Monday, calling on world leaders to focus on collective climate action as global warming continues to worsen. The summit is being held near the Amazon rainforest and will run for 12 days, with around 50,000 participants from more than 190 countries attending.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell urged leaders and negotiators to cooperate rather than argue. He said the task ahead is to confront the climate crisis together and noted that although previous climate agreements have made progress, the current level of action is still not enough. A new UN assessment shows that national climate plans are falling short of the emission cuts needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, a key target to avoid more extreme climate impacts.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opened the summit by stressing that climate change is no longer a distant concern. He said communities are already suffering from extreme weather, droughts, and forest loss. Lula called for stronger global commitment and criticized those who downplay the crisis, saying it is time to overcome climate denial and delay.
The United States did not send a delegation, reflecting former President Donald Trump’s stance against international climate agreements. Former US climate envoy Todd Stern explained that if the US attended, it would not have been able to contribute constructively at this stage. The summit’s president, Andre Correa do Lago, said the absence of the US gives more space for developing nations to highlight their climate leadership and local solutions.
Indigenous groups are also placing pressure on world leaders to take real action. Pablo Inuma Flores, an Indigenous representative from Peru, said his community faces direct climate impacts, including threats to land, food sources, and cultural survival. He urged the summit to move beyond statements and ensure protection for vulnerable communities.
Scientists have also raised concerns in a joint letter to COP30 delegates, warning that ice sheets and glaciers are melting faster than expected. They said climate change must be treated as a global security and stability issue, not just an environmental one.
COP30 will focus on pushing countries to strengthen climate commitments, protect forests like the Amazon, and increase support for communities already affected by climate-related disasters.
