Amid tensions in the West over cuts in development funding and deteriorating US relations with its allies, Brazilian President André Aranha Corrêa do Lago defended multilateralism and the legacy of the UN climate talks in his first speech at the COP30 climate summit.

Corrêa do Lago expressed hope that Brazil would provide a “decisive impetus” in safeguarding the thirty-year institutional legacy and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement. He stressed the need for deep, rapid and sustained cooperation between countries for future progress.

His words took on significance given the US withdrawal from the climate agreement under Donald Trump, its support for fossil fuels and its refusal to provide expected climate finance. The EU's Copernicus reported that February 2025 was the third warmest on record, with an average temperature of 1.59°C above pre-industrial levels and historically low sea ice.

Despite calls for international unity, developing countries complained about insufficient aid at COP30. The G77 group called on rich countries to increase funding. Last year's COP29 pledged rich countries at least $300 billion a year by 2035, a pledge that developing countries see as inadequate.

Simon Stiell, head of the UN climate change department, has stressed the need to increase global climate finance for developing countries. The rift between rich and poor countries continues, with Australia and the EU calling for a greater contribution from private finance rather than government finance.

At COP30, countries will try to mobilize $1.3 trillion a year by 2035. The transition away from fossil fuels was also discussed, but commitments remain unclear. Brazil faces criticism for pushing for oil extraction in the Amazon.

China and other developing countries have called on developed nations to raise climate targets and ensure a just transition without compromising economic growth and access to energy. Countries are due to deliver their nationally determined emission reduction pledges (NDCs) ahead of COP30, with Brazil, the US and Japan already submitting their plans. JaroR