Photo: screengrab from the official website of Brasil 247

By Brasil 247 - Speaking to foreign journalists in Belém, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said his government chose Belém and the Amazônia region to host COP30 because the challenges were great and the opportunity to showcase Brazil even greater. He stated: "We knew the conditions of the state, we knew the conditions of the city. And we decided to do it here because we did not want comfort. We wanted challenges. And we wanted the world to come to know the Amazônia."

Four pillars of confidence

Lula listed four reasons for optimism:

 • the site is "wonderful" and ready to receive global guests;

 • the infrastructure and security system are in place;

 • the people of Belém are "extraordinarily cheerful", making guests feel at home;

 • the region's cuisine is enviable and part of the visitor experience.

Brazil's environmental and energy credentials

Lula emphasized that Brazil, as host, is "a country champion of COP dialogue" and has important achievements to present. He pointed out that deforestation in the Amazônia has fallen by 50% compared to 2022 and by 45% in the country's other biomes. He also noted Brazil's role in the energy transition, highlighting that 87% of its electric matrix is renewable energy.

Alongside the Amazônia, Brazil's other five biomes — the Cerrado, Mata Atlântica, Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa — are part of the narrative that COP30 will bring to the global stage.

Oil exploration in Margem Equatorial and realism

When asked about exploration in the Margem Equatorial region, Lula affirmed that tests will proceed only with maximum care. "If we find the oil that is thought to be there, we will start all over again to issue licenses. We will do it in the most careful way someone can do." He insisted that Brazil cannot simply abandon oil, calling that "an act of irresponsibility."

Global message

Lula made clear that hosting COP30 in Belém is not only about setting a venue, but about telling a broader story: that Brazil has both the natural heritage and the socio-environmental governance to lead in climate discourse.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on November 4, 2025)