Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned on Thursday that “the window for effective action to confront the impacts of global warming is about to close,” calling for an urgent roadmap to halt deforestation, phase out fossil fuels, and mobilize the necessary financial resources to achieve these objectives.
His remarks came during a preparatory session ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Conference (COP30), hosted in Belém, Brazil, with the participation of around 50 heads of state and government, including Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
In the same session, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the failure to limit global temperature rise as “deadly negligence,” warning that any temporary overshoot of climate targets could lead to widespread destruction, irreversible ecosystem collapse, and conditions unfit for human life for billions of people, aggravating threats to global peace and security.
Guterres said fossil fuel companies “continue to obstruct climate stabilization efforts by misleading the public and hindering progress,” stressing that the 1.5°C warming threshold remains “a red line for a livable planet” and calling for a “radical transformation in global climate policies.”
