New York: When world leaders, diplomats, business leaders, scientists and activists go to Brazil in November for the United Nations’ annual climate negotiations, poverty, deforestation and much of the world’s troubles will be right in their faces — by design.
In past conference cities — including resort areas and playgrounds for the rich such as Bali, Cancun, Paris, Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai — host nations show off both their amenities and what their communities have done about climate change. But this fall’s conference is in a high-poverty city on the edge of the Amazon to demonstrate what needs to be done, said the diplomat who will run the mega-negotiations in Belem known as COP30, or Conference of Parties.
What better way to tackle a problem than facing it head on, however uncomfortable, COP30 President-designate Andre Correa do Lago, a veteran Brazilian diplomat, said in an interview with The Associated Press at United Nations headquarters.
“We cannot hide the fact that we are in the world with lots of inequalities and where sustainability and fighting climate change is something that has to get closer to people,” do Lago said. That’s what Brazilian President President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has in mind, he said.
“When people will go to Belem, you are going to see a developing country and city with considerable infrastructure issues still with, in relative terms, a high percentage of poverty and President Lula thinks it’s very important that we talk about climate thinking of all the forests, thinking of poverty and thinking of progress,” do Lago said. “He wants everybody to see a city that can improve thanks to the results of these debates.” The rich and powerful — as well as poorer nations, activists and media — are already feeling a bit of that discomfort even before getting to Belem.
Even with two years of notice, Brazil is way behind in having enough hotel rooms and other accommodations for a global conference that has had 90,000 attendees.
But specific plans weren’t announced till last week when Brazil said it arranged for two cruise ships with 6,000 beds to help with lodging, saying the country is ensuring “accommodation for all countries” and starting a system where 98 poorer nations have the option to reserve first.