President Lula strikes right tone on fossil fuel phaseout – now COP30 must turn his words into action
Belém, Brazil – World leaders have arrived for the COP30 Leaders’ Summit, where the stakes for global climate action have never been higher. Gathered in the heart of the Amazon, Heads of State and government leaders can point to clear progress since the Paris Agreement, but their climate targets still fall far short of what science demands, and they face mounting pressure to close that gap. The summit marks a critical test for President Lula’s climate legacy as leaders debate how to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target alive.
With the world watching, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s opening speech reiterated that COP30 will be the COP of truth and highlighted the need to accelerate the energy transition and overcome dependence on fossil fuels.
“President Lula’s words about preserving the Amazon and the power of collective mobilization for social justice ring true — but they must be matched by courage. There’s a deep contradiction between calling on the world to protect our common home and approving new oil drilling at the mouth of the Amazon. This is indeed the ‘COP of truth’, and that truth demands action: COP30 must deliver concrete commitments and timelines to end fossil fuel expansion and build a truly just energy transition, led by Indigenous and traditional communities.” – Ilan Zugman, Latin America and the Caribbean Director, 350.org
“President Lula spoke powerfully about justice and cooperation in a divided world, and highlighted the ‘need to get rid of fossil fuels’ and accelerate the energy transition. His legacy, and the credibility of COP30 itself, will depend on whether he turns these words into courage and follows up on his laudable ambition to accelerate the energy transition in Belém. However, President Lula cannot be both a champion of climate justice and one of the world’s biggest oil expanders.” Andreas Sieber, Associate Director of Policy and Campaigns, 350.org
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