Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad speaks next to Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Brazil's COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago during the ministerial preparatory meeting (Pre-COP30), ahead of the COP30 Climate Summit, in Brasilia, Brazil October 13, 2025.
It was inspiring to hear the President of Brazil Lula da Silva remind the world that COP30 returns to the country where it all began.
As the world turns its eyes toward COP30 in Belém, Africa stands as a bold and essential architect of global climate solutions.
As if to remind us, without mercy, of the realities of climate extremes, Hurricane Melissa made landfall and become the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica and one of the most intense storms in Atlantic history. The storm caused widespread devastation, including flooding, landslides, and infrastructure collapse, before moving north toward Cuba.
Towns, communities, and landmarks that shape our identities and cultures now face massive recovery costs that will take years to overcome. And those years will be coupled by the ongoing need for development, investment, and essential services. The confirmation of the scientific basis of Melissa’s unprecedented intensity was directly linked to climate change. This is the injustice that must fuel the urgency of COP30. These climate extremes are the new reality. We must prepare to face them everywhere, with urgency, resilience, and innovative action.
