COP30 chief praises China’s ‘extraordinary’ climate progress

BRASILIA: The Brazilian diplomat who will chair the next United Nations climate summit praised China on Thursday (Jan 23) as an example in the fight against climate change while admonishing rich countries for shirking their responsibilities.

Andre Correa do Lago, who will preside over the first climate conference in the Amazon rainforest in November, praised China’s “extraordinary progress” in combatting climate change.

“By reducing the price of solar panels and of electric cars, China is giving infinitely more support to the developing world (on climate change) than if it were just providing symbolic amounts (of aid), which is what the developed countries want,” the seasoned climate expert told journalists in Brasilia.

Correa do Lago accused rich countries of trying to reduce their financial contributions to the global fight against climate warming, which he said was “deeply wrong” in view of their commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

At the COP30 meeting in the Amazon city of Belem in November, Brazil will push developed countries to step up their support for the developing countries’ energy transition.

“We have to work so that countries with historical responsibilities play a greater role in the financial aspect,” he said.

Correa do Lago has represented Brazil at every international climate summit since President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva returned to power in January 2023.

He was appointed COP30 president on Tuesday, a day after United States President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the Paris Agreement for a second time and doubled down on the use of fossil fuels.

Correa do Lago admitted that, without US support, financing the global transition to clean energy would be “more difficult”.