COP30 climate summit hears from countries suffering harm from global warming | Climate crisis news

There are growing calls for developed nations, which produce the most gas emissions, to take more responsibility.

Leaders from countries suffering some of the most catastrophic impacts of the global climate crisis, from hurricanes, floods and more, have called on Brazil's UN climate conference, COP30, to take action.

World leaders have gathered at the edge of the rapidly shrinking Amazon rainforest ahead of Monday's official launch, with many focusing on better balance the difference between developing nations and the richer countries that produce most of the world's harmful gas emissions.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stressed the need for a concrete road map to “reverse deforestation, overcome fossil fuels and mobilize the necessary resources.”

Another initiative aims to create a shared global carbon market, where those who produce fewer emissions than required targets could potentially receive credit and sell it to those who exceed commitments.

Richer countries pledged $300 billion to help poorer nations deal with the far-reaching impacts of a warming climate at a summit last year, but no money has been allocated.

Furthermore, developing countries and international advocacy groups argue that the figure is grossly insufficient to meet needsaiming for a goal of $1.3 trillion in various forms of government and private aid.

“We bow our heads in shame”

During the leaders' meeting on Friday, Haitian diplomat Smith Augustin said Hurricane Melissa ravaged his country, while small island nations are the least responsible for climate change.

Kiture Kindiki, Kenya's vice president, said “a once-in-a-century cycle of extreme droughts alternating with devastating floods continues to destroy lives” in the East African country, which suffered a deadly landslide last week.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said leaders at the summit should “hang our heads in shame” because the loss and damage fund set up at the 2022 conference in Egypt still has a capital base of less than $800 million “while Jamaica is reeling from over $7 billion in damage, not to mention Cuba, Haiti or the Bahamas.”

Mahmoud Ali Yusuf, chairman of the African Union Commission, said leaders from countries suffering the worst impacts of the climate crisis are not asking for charity, but for “climate justice”.

Several leaders also criticized the United States, which under President Donald Trump has branded climate change a “hoax” and refused to send an envoy to the talks as they dig deeper into fossil fuels.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said in its final report earlier this week that it is “highly likely” the world will exceed the 1.5C (2.7F) global warming limit – an internationally agreed target set under the Paris Agreement – in the next decade.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told officials gathered in Brazil that they could choose to lead or be led to destruction.

“Too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public and blocking progress, and too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests,” he said.

Guterres also said exceeding 1.5C was inevitable in the short term, “but what matters is how high and for how long.”

The UN says global emissions should be almost halved by 2030, reach net zero by 2050 and then go net negative.