COP30 Climate Change Summit in Brazil Sees Low Attendance
The recent COP30 climate summit, held in Brazil under the leadership of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, experienced the lowest turnout from world leaders in four years, according to Brazilian news outlet Poddar 360.
This event spanned two days and is part of a broader initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the main COP30 meeting scheduled from November 10 to November 21.
In total, only 31 heads of state attended the high-level summit in Belem, located in the state of Pará. This has drawn attention given that numerous countries participated with delegations.
Notably, President Donald Trump chose not to attend and didn’t send a senior representative, which reportedly upset some of the left-leaning leaders present. They took the opportunity to voice strong criticisms against him, in part for his skepticism regarding global climate change movements.
Voter turnout was particularly low since COP25 in 2019, with that previous summit also facing issues, including a last-minute venue change from Chile to Spain due to civil unrest in Chile.
The inaugural COP meeting took place back in 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Since then, these conferences have been held annually, aside from a pause in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Poddar360 reported a breakdown indicating attendance by 18 presidents, 11 prime ministers, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, and Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at the summit. This figure starkly contrasts with the higher participation seen in previous COP events.
For instance, COP29 in 2024 in Baku attracted 61 leaders, significantly more than the current summit. In the upcoming COP28, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, 139 leaders are expected—over four times the number attending this year’s COP30. Last year’s COP27 in Egypt saw 102 countries represented, while COP26 in Scotland had 120 participating nations.
Only the 2019 COP25 had fewer heads of state than this year’s event, largely due to the logistical challenges posed by a sudden venue change. That summit had been set for Chile but was relocated to Spain in response to widespread protests and unrest triggered by economic issues.
These protests escalated beyond their original focus on public transport costs, leading to a demand for a new constitution in Chile, resulting in a complicated constitutional process that continues to unfold without resolution.
Some weeks prior to COP25, the Chilean government announced it would not hold the event there, and last-minute preparations were made for Madrid to host instead. While some reports noted around 50 leaders participated in COP25, only six gave national statements during that summit.
Brazil originally planned to host COP25 but pulled out just before President Jair Bolsonaro’s inauguration, citing high costs associated with the summit as a primary reason for the cancellation.
Poder360 highlighted that COP30’s hosting in Belem faced logistical issues, particularly regarding hotel capacity for the multitude of delegates arriving for the conference. This situation led to local motels making adjustments to accommodate attendees.
Interestingly, instead of a hotel, Lula and his delegation opted for a diesel-powered boat equipped somewhat like a hotel for their stay. Reports indicate this boat consumed around 4,000 liters of diesel fuel during the conference.
Lula mentioned that the decision to hold COP30 in Pará was intentional, aimed at embracing the challenges associated with the city, and to draw global attention to the Amazon.
