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Leaders Gather in Belém to Set COP30 Tone as Guterres Urges End to Fossil Fuel Finance

The meeting seeks to convert Paris pledges into financed delivery despite the absence of several major emitters at leader level.

Overview

  • Brazil launched the Tropical Forests Fund with a $1 billion pledge, Indonesia said it would match the amount, and China confirmed it will contribute without specifying a figure.
  • UN Secretary‑General António Guterres called continued fossil‑fuel investment "short‑sighted and self‑destructive" and pressed for a credible roadmap to scale climate finance for vulnerable countries.
  • Roughly 50–60 leaders are attending, with the United States sending no senior officials, China represented by Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, and India and Russia not represented by their heads of state.
  • The two‑day leaders’ program focuses on forests and oceans, the energy transition, and a 10‑year review of the Paris Agreement, as Lula opens what he calls the "COP of truth" and warns about extremist disinformation.
  • Belém is straining to host more than 60,000 participants as civil‑society mobilizations intensify, with formal COP30 negotiations scheduled for November 10–21.