Europe Asia News

Brazilian diplomat André Corrêa do Lago, who is in charge of the COP30 conference set to begin on Monday, said that more countries should follow China’s lead instead of complaining about falling behind in the competition.

Speaking to journalists in Belém, the city located in the Amazon rainforest where the two-week COP30 conference is taking place, Corrêa do Lago said: “The decline in enthusiasm in the global north shows that the global south is moving. This has been happening for years, not just this year, but now it’s becoming more visible.”

Pointing to China — the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases and also the biggest producer and consumer of low-carbon energy — Corrêa do Lago said: “China is creating solutions not just for itself but for everyone. Solar panels are cheaper and so competitive compared to fossil fuels that they’re now everywhere. If you’re thinking about climate change, that’s a good thing.”

Ministers and senior officials from 194 countries will try at COP30 to create a roadmap to stay as close as possible to the 1.5°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement, phase out fossil fuels, and ensure that poorer countries receive the assistance they need.

As the conference begins, *The Guardian* reports that one key climate pledge has already been undermined. At COP26, held in Glasgow in 2021, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union and other nations launched the Global Methane Pledge to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030, which was later signed by about 159 countries.

However, according to satellite analysis company *Kayrros*, emissions from some major signatories have increased, potentially driving global temperatures even higher. The six largest signatories (the US, Australia, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Iraq) have a combined emission level 8.5% higher than in 2020.