Brazil’s COP30 presidency is all about taking grassroots solutions to the climate crisis and bringing them to the big stage, ya know? They wanna push governments to step up their game with their national climate plans. But guess what? With only 21 countries updating their targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, things are moving slower than a snail on a hot day. And get this, the deadline got extended to September because, well, procrastination at its finest, am I right?
André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, the big boss of COP30, is like, “Hey, we can’t just rely on governments to fix things. We all gotta do our part, whether you’re an individual, a company, a teacher, or whatever.” He’s all about this movement showing governments that people actually care about climate change and wanna see some serious changes happen.
Meanwhile, in Copenhagen, over 40 climate ministers and other fancy officials are gathering to chat about the Bélem summit. Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate guru, thinks progress is happening, but it’s slower than your grandma driving on a Sunday. We’re still on track for a 3C temperature rise, but without the Paris Agreement, we’d be looking at a toasty 5C increase. Yikes!
Stiell says they’re gonna look at all these updated targets and see if we’re anywhere close to that 1.5C limit. Spoiler alert: things ain’t looking too good. The global average temperature is already 1.58C above pre-industrial levels. That’s like leaving your ice cream out in the sun for too long.
But fear not, my friends! Corrêa do Lago is on a mission to gather up all these cool climate actions that are already happening on the ground. He’s calling them “self-determined contributions” because, let’s face it, actions speak louder than promises. Whether it’s farmers doing regenerative agriculture or tech companies going green, he wants to see it all.
The COP30 crew is gonna launch a platform to showcase all these climate initiatives from regular folks and organizations. It’s like a talent show for climate warriors, and it’s gonna happen during the UN climate week in Panama. So get ready to be inspired, folks!
In Copenhagen, city and regional leaders are also getting in on the action. Chilando Chitangala, the mayor of Lusaka, is like, “Cities are on the front lines of this mess, but we can’t do it alone, people!” She’s all about getting involved in the decision-making process at every level because without local action, those global goals are just a pipe dream.
And let’s not forget about the US of A. Corrêa do Lago is throwing some shade at the Trump administration for trying to dip out of the Paris Agreement. But hey, he’s quick to point out that the government may be leaving, but the country is still in the fight against climate change. So, take that, Trump!
So, as we gear up for the Bélem summit, let’s all do our part, whether it’s planting trees, reducing emissions, or just spreading the word. Because when it comes to saving the planet, every little bit helps, right?
