World runs out of excuses as UN's 30th climate conference kicks off in the Amazon

UTIOUS OPTIMISM

- SOUMYA SARKAR @Belém (Brazil)

IN Belém, the tropical rain drifts in from the river and settles over a city of fishing boats and mango trees. The quiet streets of the city, known in Brazil as the Amazon’s capital, will over the next two weeks be a microcosm of the world as nearly 200 national delegations arrive for COP30, the UN’s 30th climate conference. The Amazon’s gateway city will once again find itself at the centre of a global reckoning.

The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2025 warns that planet-warming greenhouse gases are still rising, with global emissions 7% higher than in 2020. Despite countless promises, the world’s heating trajectory remains unchanged. “Current policies will reduce projected 2030 emissions by only 2% compared with last year’s estimates,” says the UN Environment Programme. “The path to a liveable future gets steeper by the day,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reminded governments. “But this is no reason to surrender. It’s a reason to step up and speed up.”