September 23, 2025, New York – With just six weeks to go until COP30 in the Amazon, 350.org welcomes President Lula’s speech, in which he defended global climate justice and called on historically high-emitting countries to take responsibility, positioning COP30 as the “COP of Truth” and demanding climate targets (NDCs) from all countries, while respecting and listening to the voices of the Global South. Lula highlighted the importance of approaching critical mineral extraction with care, emphasized the global importance of the Amazon, called for foreign debt relief and fair taxation of the super-rich, and stressed that it is time to move to the implementation stage, noting Brazil’s 50% reduction in deforestation over the past year.
However, he ignored the fact that Brazil is now one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters and plans to become the world’s fourth-largest oil producer — an ambition supported by the president — and did not mention the need to phase out fossil fuels or advance a just energy transition.
New oil and gas exploration licenses in the Amazon were issued by the Brazilian government just a few months ago, and Lula continues to push for approval of a project at the mouth of the Amazon River, arguing it will bring economic development and fund the energy transition — a complete contradiction with reality and with the words and rhetoric of today’s speech.
“For climate justice and the Global South to truly thrive, fossil fuels cannot be the answer,” said Ilan Zugman, Latin America Managing Director at 350.org. “It’s simple: no reduction in deforestation will outweigh the carbon emissions from oil and gas, and you cannot claim climate leadership while expanding the destruction of the Amazon. To even begin talking about a just energy transition, Brazil needs to stop betting on fossil fuels and present a National Energy Transition Plan (PLANTE) with concrete targets that puts Indigenous and traditional communities and their territories at its center. Without this shift, the government’s credibility will always be questioned.”
Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and civil society organizations argue that a just energy transition must prioritize highly biodiverse and environmentally sensitive areas such as the Amazon, and must be built on a clear plan that does not rely on expanding oil and gas or financing fossil fuels.
Notes to Editors:
Lula’s speech comes just days after Amazonian fishing communities from Marajó stood up to the oil giants, highlighting the damage that would be caused if extraction projects move forward.
On Sunday, September 21, the residents of Jubim formed a symbolic line of boats in the threatened river mouth, with a giant banner reading: “COP30: AMAZON ON ITS FEET, OIL IN THE GROUND.”
The oil exploration project at the mouth of the Amazon River directly threatens the fishermen of Jubim, on Marajó Island, as it endangers the marine ecosystems and fish stocks on which they depend to survive. An oil spill — or even the mere presence of the industry — could compromise water quality, drive away fish, and destroy traditional ways of life built over generations. For those who rely on fishing, opening this new frontier of exploration represents not only an environmental crisis but also an existential threat to the community’s food and economic security.
Photos and B-roll with aerial footage and interviews with fishermen can be found here.
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