As the world prepares for COP30, which will be held in November in Belém, Brazil, the president of the Global Climate Conference, André Corrêa do Lago, warns of a new type of climate denial that threatens the advances in the environmental agenda.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Brazilian diplomat states that the current challenge is no longer the denial of climate science, but the economic resistance against policies that seek to reorganize the global economy for a low carbon model. “We are not facing scientific negation, but an economic denial,” he said.
Corrêa do Lago highlighted the English newspaper that, with the increase in scientific evidence on the impacts of climate change, the opposition now focuses on discrediting the economic policies needed to combat the problem.
He points out that the growth of populism, exemplified by Donald Trump’s presidency in the US, has fueled a setback against measures that encourage renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
For the president of COP30, it is essential to show that the transition to a sustainable economy can bring economic benefits and improve the quality of life.
Economist of training and experienced diplomat, Corrêa do Lago points out that the response to the climate crisis must come from the economy. He recalls that studies such as the 2006 Stern report have shown that fighting emissions is cheaper than bearing damage caused by global warming.
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However, he criticizes that the climate crisis is not yet properly incorporated into economic theory and that many governments and companies ignore the climate impacts on their financial planning.
In addition to economic challenges, the COP30 organization faces logistics and political issues, such as building a road in the Amazon rainforest and criticism of the Brazilian government for approving oil and oil exploration projects in the region.
In the international scenario, the absence of countries such as the US and the resistance of oil -producing nations complicates the negotiation of more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions, which should be presented by November.
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For Corrêa do Lago, hope is in the ability of countries to come together to face the climate crisis, as it occurred 40 years ago to protect the ozone layer.
“Climate change is much more complex, but the example of the ozone layer shows that human action can reverse an environmental crisis,” he told Guardian. He warns that failure to act will result in an acceleration of climate change, with serious consequences for global economy and society.
