BRASILIA (dpa-AFX) - Thousands of diplomats and climate experts have gathered in Belem, Brazil's Amazon region, for COP30 - the latest round of UN climate talks with the task of turning promises into action and agree on tougher plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The host city of COP30 situates at the edge of the world's largest tropical rainforest: the Amazon region is both a vital carbon sink and a frontline in the fight against deforestation and climate change.
At this year's meeting, which runs up to November 21, delegates will review national climate plans, push for $1.3 trillion a year in climate finance, adopt new measures to help countries adapt, and advance a 'just transition' to cleaner economies.
The COP30 summit opens on Monday in Belém against a stark backdrop: scientists say the planet is on course to temporarily breach the 1.5°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement.
That could still be short-lived, experts warn, but only if countries act fast to ramp up efforts on cutting emissions, adapting to climate impacts, and mobilizing finance.
Speaking at the Leaders' Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, 'It's no longer time for negotiations. It's time for implementation, implementation and implementation.'
Under Brazil's presidency, COP30 will revolve around an action agenda of 30 key goals, each driven by an 'activation group' tasked with scaling up solutions.
Action agendas at COPs are built on voluntary pledges rather than binding law. But the scale of change needed is enormous: at least $1.3 trillion in climate investments every year by 2035.
Without urgent action, scientists warn global temperatures could climb between 2.3°C and 2.8°C by the end of the century, leaving vast regions uninhabitable through flooding, extreme heat and ecosystem collapse.
At the heart of talks in Belém will be the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap Report for $1.3 Trillion, prepared by the COP29 and COP30 presidencies. It sets out five priorities for mobilizing resources, including boosting six multilateral climate funds, strengthening cooperation on taxing polluting activities, and converting sovereign debt into climate investment - a move that could unlock up to $100 billion for developing countries.
The report also calls for dismantling barriers such as investment treaty clauses that let corporations sue governments over climate policies. Those disputes have already cost governments $83 billion across 349 cases, accordng to the UN.
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