Brazil will not back down from advocating for a global transition away from fossil fuels when it hosts COP30 next year, despite its position as a major oil producer, the country’s climate envoy affirmed Wednesday.
Ana Toni, Brazil’s national secretary for climate change, emphasized the country’s commitment to leading a global dialogue on fossil fuel reduction, including discussions on potential taxes targeting coal, oil, and gas. Speaking on the sidelines of COP29 in Azerbaijan, Toni stated that Brazil would continue to push for a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels, underscoring the importance of turning global pledges into tangible action.
“We will never shy away from these critical discussions because it is in our own interests,” Toni told AFP, stressing that Brazil’s climate leadership was rooted in both environmental and national priorities.
Toni’s remarks come as COP30 is set to be held in Belem, Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon. It will be the third consecutive year that a country with significant fossil fuel interests has hosted the UN climate talks. Brazil, Latin America’s largest oil producer, follows the UAE and Azerbaijan, both oil-rich nations that hosted COP28 and COP29, respectively.
The mounting tension surrounding fossil fuel production and climate action has led some climate leaders to call for future COPs to be held only in countries that actively support phasing out fossil fuel production. Despite Brazil’s reliance on fossil fuels, Toni stressed that the country’s climate agenda remained ambitious and firmly committed to action.
“Brazil has always been a climate champion,” Toni remarked, referencing the country’s pioneering role in pushing for deforestation reductions. “We were the first to say, let’s stop deforestation. The same resolve will drive our efforts to phase out fossil fuels,” she said, adding that Brazil would work to unite nations on this critical issue.
Toni acknowledged the complexities of balancing fossil fuel production with climate advocacy, noting that Brazil shared some contradictions with other oil-producing nations like the United States and Norway, both of which have called for emissions cuts while continuing their fossil fuel operations.
As part of its COP30 preparations, Brazil is advocating for nations to consider mechanisms such as carbon taxes or the removal of subsidies for fossil fuels to help reduce global dependency. This push aligns with global efforts to mitigate the climate crisis, even as fossil fuel consumption continues to surge.
At COP28, nearly 200 countries agreed on the need to phase out fossil fuels, but the momentum for change has stalled in the face of political resistance. The global reliance on coal, oil, and gas hit record highs in 2024, a trend that has complicated efforts to advance the transition away from fossil fuels.
Despite these challenges, Toni is confident that Brazil’s climate strategy is among the most ambitious of any developing nation. While some climate activists have argued that Brazil’s emissions reduction targets are insufficient, Toni stood by the government’s plans, declaring, “We don’t have anything to prove to anyone.”
Before turning its attention to COP30, Brazil is working to help broker a successful outcome at COP29, where Toni is tasked with negotiating a critical financing agreement aimed at supporting energy transitions and climate adaptation in developing countries. She warned that failure to secure a deal could undermine the global climate effort, noting that the success of COP30 would depend on the outcomes of this year’s summit.
“That’s exactly what we don’t want to happen,” Toni said. “The success of COP30 depends on the success of a good COP29.”
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