Lula talks about climate and COP30 in a UN speech

President of Brazil said the summit will be the time for the leaders to prove their commitment to the planet

President Lulz Inácio Lula da Silva’s speech at the opening of the general UN General Assembly in New York was less than two months ago to start COP30, a conference surrounded by uncertainty about Belém’s infrastructure as a host city and the geopolitical situation that can make effective agreements to the climate crisis.

Lula spoke in the UN about climate change, reinforced the importance of social justice, highlighted the environmental actions of Brazil and approached the UN summit in the Amazon, calling on world leaders “to prove the seriousness of their commitment to the planet.”

Shortly before, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also addressed COP30 and the environmental challenges on the agenda of the meeting, which aims to establish multilateral agreements designed to reduce environmental impacts and release resources to mitigate the effects of global warming.

Although the discourse of the Brazilian President was emphatic, non-governmental climate observatory organizations and 350.ORG evaluated the discourse ambiguously.

The two organizations recognized positive points, such as the defense of climate justice, the collection of global goals and the resumption of the proposal to create a climate change council in the UN, signaling a willingness to face historical impasses of negotiations.

But they also pointed out weaknesses. The observatory stressed that Lula devoted little time to the theme and left out fossil fuels, frustrating the expectation of climate leadership on the eve of COP30.

350.org drew attention to the contradiction between international rhetoric and the recent defense of oil in the Amazon, which threatens Brazil’s credibility as a host of the meeting.

The Non-Governmental Organization Instituto Climainfo summarized what they said on the UN global stage. Check it out.

Lula’s speech on the UN in 2025

President Lula in a speech at the UN General Assembly 2025

About COP30

“The year 2024 was the hottest ever recorded. COP30 will be the COP of Truth. It will be the time for the world leaders to prove the seriousness of their commitment to the planet.

Without having the complete picture of the nationally determined contributions (the so -called NDCs), we will walk with blindfolded eyes towards a true abyss. ”

About the Amazon

“In Belém, the world will know the reality of the Amazon. Brazil has halved deforestation in the region in the last two years.

For the millions of forest inhabitants, to foster sustainable development is the purpose of the Forest Forest Fund forever, which Brazil intends to launch to remunerate conservation. ”

About financing and climate justice

“Brazil has made a commitment to reduce between 59% and 77% all its greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors of the economy. As a developing country, we face climate change while fighting other challenges, such as poverty and inequality.

Those who have enriched with living standards obtained over 200 years of industrialization need to take on greater responsibility and offer more resources and technologies. This is not charity. It is justice.

And the race for critical minerals, essential to the energy transition, cannot reproduce the predatory logic that marked the last centuries. “

About multilateralism and climate

“The time has come to move from the negotiation phase to the implementation stage. The world owes a lot to the regime created by the climate convention, but it is necessary to bring the fight against climate change to the heart of the UN, to receive the attention it deserves.

We defend a council linked to the General Assembly, with legitimacy and strength to monitor climate commitments – a fundamental step towards a broader reform of the organization, which also includes the expansion of the Security Council. ”

What said António GuterresUN Secretary-General

About expectations for COP30

“All countries need to intensify and do more as we get closer to the UN climate conference in Brazil.

Accelerating action in energy, forests, methane and decarbonization of industry. Defining a reliable script to mobilize $ 1.3 trillion per year in climate financing by 2035 for developing countries.

Support tight transitions, double financing for adaptation to at least $ 40 billion later this year and quickly implement tools already proven to unlock more billion billions in concession financing, as well as capitalizing the fund of losses and damage to significant contributions. ”

About climate justice

“We must choose climate justice. The climate crisis is accelerating, but also the solutions. The future of clean energy is no longer a distant promise, it is already here.

No government, industry or special interest can stop it. But some are trying, harming economies, maintaining high prices and wasting a historic opportunity. ”

About the transition to clean energy

“Fossil fuels are a lost bet. Last year, almost all the new power generation capacity came from renewables, and the investment is firing. Renewables are the cheapest and fastest source of new energy.

They create jobs, boost growth, protect the economies from the volatility of oil and gas markets, and can free us from fossil fuel tyranny. But not at the current pace. Investment in clean energy remains uneven – 21st century networks and storage systems are not being implemented sufficiently.

Public subsidies, paid with taxpayer money, still flow to fossil fuels in a proportion from 9 to 1 in relation to clean energy. Meanwhile, emissions, temperatures and disasters continue to increase, and the least responsible suffer more. ”

On national climate plans

“Science says it is still possible to limit the increase in global temperature to 1.5 ° C, but the window is closing. The International Court of Justice has already stated the legal obligation of the states.

We need to increase action and ambition, especially by strengthening national climate plans. Tomorrow I will receive leaders to announce new goals. The G20 – the biggest broadcasters – should lead, guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. ”

On financial reform

“All of this requires governments, international financial institutions, philanthropies, civil society and private sector to work together. To offer tax space to developing countries and releasing new innovative sources of large -scale financing, including taxes of solidarity in sectors of high emissions and debt exchanges.

We have solutions and tools, but we need to choose climate justice and climate action. ”