As UN Clock Ticks, Brazil Pushes Nations to Step Up Climate Ambitions Ahead of COP30

Image Credit: © Bianca Otero/ZUMA Press Wire

Only 28 countries have so far presented their carbon-cutting plans to the United Nations, leaving some of the biggest polluters silent. Brazil has now issued a stark appeal, urging all nations to strengthen their climate commitments before a looming September deadline.

Despite the urgency, many of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, including China and the European Union, have yet to submit their proposals. Brazil, which will host the pivotal COP30 UN climate summit in November, has called governments to a high-level meeting on 25 September in New York, timed to coincide with the UN’s annual general assembly. The purpose is clear: the UN must gather every national plan, known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC), by that date to produce a synthesis report. That report will reveal how far the world remains from meeting the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

He wrote: “Far from representing mere climate targets for 2035, our NDCs represent the vision of our shared future. They are vehicles of cooperation, enabling us to realise this vision together. Suppose the image presented by NDCs proves disappointing. In that case, it is our collective responsibility to convert it into a picture that will ensure a livable planet, protect all economies, and improve living standards and life opportunities for all peoples, for all generations.”

André Corrêa do Lago, the Brazilian diplomat presiding over Cop30, wrote to governments this week, urging them to submit ambitious NDCs. He warned that if pledges are weak, negotiators would be forced to push for more substantial commitments during the summit itself. Brazil has noticeably intensified its diplomatic activity in recent days. President Lula da Silva even held an extended call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, placing climate concerns front and center.

Do Lago said: “We are quite convinced that China will publish an ambitious NDC in time for the synthesis report. We are very confident that China is taking this exercise very seriously.”

The 25 September meeting, known as a presidency consultation, represents an unusual step, as such discussions typically occur only in the final days of a COP. Another session is planned for 15 October. Both are designed to break the gridlock that has plagued recent climate talks, where debates over the agenda have delayed negotiations from even beginning.

Yet Cop30 faces a host of challenges. Rising geopolitical tensions are making progress harder, not easier. Last week, Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Trump has already withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement, while Putin’s war in Ukraine has fueled a surge in fossil fuel profits.

Brazil itself is struggling with practical problems closer to home. The summit is set to take place in Belém, a small Amazonian city with limited infrastructure. Delegates, civil society groups, and media organizations are alarmed by the shortage of accommodations and the soaring costs.

The city offers only about 18,000 hotel rooms, while an estimated 50,000 people are expected to attend the event. To ease the strain, Brazil has chartered two large cruise ships to house around 6,000 attendees and launched a program for residents to rent out rooms and apartments. Even so, the cheapest rooms for the two-week conference are hovering around $400 a night, with many hotels charging more than $1,000. For delegates from vulnerable countries with small budgets, these prices are prohibitive. Wealthier nations can send large teams, but only a handful of officials will represent many smaller delegations.

Ana Toni, chief executive of Cop30, said: “Prices have started to come down and we expect that to continue.”

Adding to the unease, Brazil has made concessions over the summit agenda that have unsettled some participants. Although national climate plans are central to the world’s fight against global warming, Brazil had initially argued that they would be finalized before COP30 and therefore excluded from negotiations. Now, with so few NDCs submitted, it is clear they will dominate discussions, whether Brazil intended it or not.

However, many countries made it clear that discussing the NDCs and their impacts would be central to fulfilling the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Do Lago said there would be opportunities for parties to discuss all key issues: “Some of the issues that the public in general expect more discussion on at Cop were not included in the agenda. What we want to do is ensure that we are addressing the issues that stakeholders consider important. There is a huge debate about trust in these negotiations, and I firmly believe that transparency is essential.”