In her speech before the start of the COP30 climate conference, Commission President emphasized Europe’s determination to continue fighting climate change. Ms von der Leyen stressed that Europe is the largest contributor of climate finance in the world. The conference is symbolically held in Belém, on the edge of the largest tropical rainforest complex in the world.
Dozens of leading politicians from around the world are gathering in Belém, Brazil, for talks ahead of the COP30 global climate conference. Expert discussions will begin in individual sections on Monday, November 10. The EU is represented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa.
1.5 degree Celsius ’must remain within reach’
In her short opening address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the EU’s leading role in tackling climate change. “We are firmly on track to meet our own 2030 target (…) In line with the Paris Agreement, EU’s Member States recently agreed on a 90 per cent reduction target for 2040,” Ms von der Leyen said.
Commission President also mentioned that the upcoming COP30 conference must meet high expectations. “This must be the COP that keeps 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach,” Ms von der Leyen said in reference to the landmark agreement signed in Paris in 2015 stipulating that it is essential to limit future global temperature rises to 1.5 Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Many scientists, however, warn that in the light of recent developments this target seems unrealistic. The global warming is now expected to exceed the 1.5 degree level by 2030 at latest.
Lula warns against ’drastic consequences’
Brazilian President Luíz Inácio Lula da Silva also spoke at the opening of the summit. In a somewhat pessimistic tone he noted that “selfish and short-sighted interests now prevail over the common good in the fight against climate change”.
President Lula said that the United Nations Environment Program Emissions Report estimates that the planet is heading to be two and a half degrees warmer by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels and warned against consequences. “According to the Baku to Belém Roadmap, human and material losses would be drastic (…) Global GDP may shrink by as much as 30 per cent,” said Mr Lula da Silva. Brazilian President urged that “COP30 must be the COP of truth.”
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Greece signed drilling contract in Ionian Sea
In the light of calls for greater investment in renewable energy sources, it seems ironic that Greece—a member state of the European Union—signed a contract on Thursday, 6 November with American energy giant ExxonMobil for offshore drilling in the northern part of Ionian Sea. The newly formed consortium, in which ExxonMobil holds a 60 percent stake, hopes that offshore exploration will lead to future extraction of fossil fuels, namely oil and natural gas.
Greek energy experts claim that the area under contract is the largest unexplored offshore structure in the Mediterranean. It should “substantially enhance the energy security of Greece and the broader region”.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed the deal as historical development. Mr Mitsotakis said that “it is not just another investment. It is the first exploratory drilling in our homeland in almost 40 years.”
