COP30 Highlights Amazon’s Peril and Global Climate Crisis

The Amazon rainforest, covering much of northwestern Brazil and extending into other South American countries, is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and is vital to fighting climate change.

My recent visit to Brazil coincided with the 30th UN Climate Conference, COP30, in Belém. Although I did not attend the summit, I had the privilege of exploring the Amazon rainforest.

Experiencing the Amazon—the largest tropical rainforest in the world—was awe-inspiring and humbling. The ever-flowing Amazon River, along with its tributaries like the black-water Rio Negro, sustains countless interdependent species. The giant Samaúma, or kapok tree, towers over a dense canopy of trees, vines, and plants, providing homes for birds, monkeys, sloths, and other wildlife.

On the river, silvery flying fish leap to catch insects, while dolphins play and egrets, caimans, and other predators hunt along the banks. Indigenous communities have lived here for tens of thousands of years, maintaining eco-centric values and sustainable ways of life. River people, or ribeirinhos, live along the river in floating homes or stilted houses, their cultures deeply intertwined with the forest.

The Amazon has lost over 54 million hectares—around 9% of its total area—between 2001 and 2020. Brazil, which makes up 62% of the rainforest, has been hardest hit, followed by Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. Each year, the rainforest loses 4,000 to 6,000 plant and animal species due to deforestation.

At COP30, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva emphasized that Brazil has halved deforestation in the past two years and called for a “COP of Truth and Action.” He highlighted Brazil’s leadership in biofuels and stressed that growth models based on fossil fuels are unsustainable.

However, concerns persist. The Brazilian government recently approved Petrobras to drill for oil near the Amazon River’s mouth, sparking criticism from environmentalists over the risks to biodiversity and indigenous communities. Additionally, infrastructure projects such as the four-lane Avenida Liberdade highway threaten over 100 hectares of protected rainforest.

Protecting the Amazon cannot fall on Brazil alone; it is a shared responsibility. Studies show that renewable energy alternatives, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, can reduce dependence on fossil and biofuels. COP30 presents a critical opportunity for nations, particularly emerging powers from the Global South and the BRICS, to move beyond rhetoric and implement concrete climate action.

Negotiators and policymakers must resist pressure from fossil fuel interests and prioritize the planet’s long-term survival over short-term profit, recognizing that safeguarding the Amazon is essential for global climate stability.