Belém, Brazil — It’s Day 1 of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, in the humid Amazon rainforest, and only about one-third of the venue is air-conditioned. If not for the ever-present tropical sweat on attendees’ foreheads, and the sudden torrential downpours causing leaks in the tent that covers the venue, you might think you were still in Baku, Azerbaijan — the structure looks like it was airlifted out of COP29 in Baku. Everything from the color themes to the pavilion decorations to the fluorescent lights is identical to last year. But the mood is palpably different.
This year, there’s less tension in the air — a COP hosted in the Amazon rather than a petrol state, and no climate finance target to hit — but it does feel more chaotic. The implementation-themed COP means countless new ambitions, debates, and announcements to follow alongside the negotiations.
By Jesse Chase-Lubitz
About the author
Devex Editor
Thanks a lot for your interest in Devex News. To share news and views, story ideas and press releases, please email editor@devex.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
