BELÉM, Brazil — The Brazilian government has delivered a blunt message to its fellow United Nations climate negotiators: the next major climate summit will not be moved.
In a document sent to the 11-member Bureau of the UN Climate Change Conference — the group of senior negotiators and officials that advises the COP Presidency — Brazil’s COP30 Presidency declared in bold letters: “There will be no alternate location, as COP30 will not be moved from Belém.”
The statement comes after weeks of quiet but mounting pressure from governments concerned that the Amazon city’s limited hotel capacity and skyrocketing room rates could shut out delegates from poorer nations and undermine participation in the November 2025 summit.
The concerns are not theoretical. Some of the cheapest listings on Brazil’s new official accommodation platform are around $300 per night, with reports of local establishments — including love motels — charging up to 30 times their usual rates.
At an emergency meeting in late July, Bureau members asked whether Brazil had identified a backup city, a move suggested by some African and European delegations. Among those voicing apprehension was Richard Muyungi, a Tanzanian diplomat who chairs the African Group of Negotiators, warning that the scarcity of affordable rooms could keep many from attending. The Presidency’s reply was terse: No. That answer also applied to the idea of moving the high-profile leaders’ summit to another location.
The Numbers Behind Brazil’s Confidence
Brazilian officials estimate that COP30 will draw more than 50,000 participants — fewer than Dubai’s record-breaking 83,000 in 2023 but similar to last year’s summit in Baku. They say they have “mapped” 53,000 beds across Belém and its metropolitan area, including 22,000 on Airbnb, 15,000 in hotels, 10,000 in holiday rentals, and 6,000 aboard two cruise ships moored at a nearby port.
The Presidency has offered subsidized rooms for delegations from the 72 nations classified as Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States — 15 rooms per country at $100 to $200 per night. Other delegations will receive 10 rooms each at $200 to $600 per night. Heads of state and their entourages will be accommodated separately, though details have yet to be announced.
Security for those staying on the cruise ships will be tight, the government says, with police patrols, private security, and two Brazilian Navy warships stationed nearby.
Infrastructure and Access
Belém’s airport, though small compared to most COP hosts, has been upgraded with expanded terminals, taxiways, and modernized facilities. It offers direct flights to Lisbon, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and several major Brazilian cities, with more flights expected during the summit. While Brazilian law bars government interference in airline pricing, officials say they are working to spread arrivals and departures to avoid peak surcharges.
In a bid to ease pressure on accommodations, COP30’s leaders’ summit will be held before the two weeks of negotiations and side events — a departure from tradition aimed at flattening demand for rooms during the busiest period.
Why Belém Matters
For Brazil, holding COP30 in Belém is about more than logistics. The city sits at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest — a symbolic choice meant to underscore the role of tropical forests in regulating the planet’s climate. Officials close to the Presidency have said moving the summit would undermine that message at a time when the Amazon’s future is central to global climate diplomacy.
Who Runs COP30
At the helm is Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s top climate diplomat and former ambassador to Japan and India, appointed COP30 President in January. Known for his deep experience in climate negotiations — including leading Brazil’s delegation at COP28 and COP29 — Mr. Corrêa do Lago will chair the summit and guide talks toward consensus.
The operational lead is Ana Toni, COP30’s Chief Executive Officer, a veteran of environmental and social justice advocacy who previously directed the Institute for Climate and Society and held leadership roles at Greenpeace International and the Ford Foundation.
Supporting them is the COP Bureau, the 11-member advisory body representing the UN’s regional groupings. Its members help shape the agenda and ensure that perspectives from the Global South, developed economies, and vulnerable nations alike are represented. The Bureau’s remit is largely behind the scenes but politically sensitive, making its concerns over Belém’s readiness a significant test for the host nation.
Brazil has also appointed 30 Special Envoys — from political figures like former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to cultural icons like big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira — to engage with civil society, the private sector, and international media in the run-up to November.
The Stakes
COP30 will be the first summit since governments are expected to submit new and more ambitious climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. That timing, coupled with the Amazon setting, has raised expectations for both substance and symbolism.
Yet the logistics battle underscores a reality of modern climate diplomacy: these gatherings are as much about access and inclusivity as they are about emissions targets. Whether Brazil can deliver a summit that is both emblematic and accessible may shape not only perceptions of COP30 but also the credibility of the process it hosts.
As one Bureau member put it privately after reading the Presidency’s defiant statement: “Belém is happening. Now we’ll see who can afford to be there.”
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