With groups and country representatives gathering from all over the world at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, find out what is happening at the climate summit so far from Damiana Lanusse, of Caritas Latin America and the Caribbean, and Liz Cronin, CAFOD's policy lead on climate change.
COP30 is one of the most important climate summits in years
Damiana explains why it is significant that COP30 is being held in Brazil:
"Here in Latin America it is truly special to have COP30 and the expectations are very, very high. We are hosting and welcoming the world in our region at this moment. Our Beloved Amazon, as Pope Francis called it, is our hope – it is the lungs of the earth and for Latin Americans this COP carries an enormous symbolic meaning. It is the chance for our people to be seen and to be heard, and also to remind other regions of the world that climate justice is not only about negotiations but about life’s territories and cultures that are under threat.
"These communities don’t have the means to adapt to climate change and suddenly from one day to another they find themselves in real trouble and governments are not doing their job in terms of protecting the rights and distributing the resources in a fair way.
"We are here with hope. We hope that the decisions that will not only be made for economic interest but for the common good. We hope that we can still change the course of history and touch the hearts of the decision makers."
CAFOD campaigners in Manchester on the Global Day of Action for COP30
With faith groups present at COP, Damiana describes how the Church plays a vital role in the life of communities on the frontline of the climate crisis:
"The voice of the Church and other faith groups plays an important role because faith brings a moral and spiritual dimension that politics alone cannot provide. Our Church reminds us again and again that caring for our common home is not optional, it’s essential to our faith."
Liz Cronin, CAFOD's policy lead, provides this update on what is happening at COP so far and what to expect from the rest of the conference:
“Week one is when governments and civil servants set out their government's position and then in the second week politicians will come and start making the compromises and deals that are needed to get action over the line. So it’s very difficult to tell whether this will be a COP of hope or a COP of despair. It’s all still to play for. It’s the COP with the biggest indigenous population delegation ever, so it’s a strong COP in terms of representation and people are really making their voices heard, which is really positive.”
Damiana and Liz were speaking live from Brazil as part of an online webinar with CAFOD supporters. Watch the recording
Early next week we'll report on the crucial second week of COP30, and whether it has delivered on the outcomes that are desperately needed.
In this Jubilee year, the UK must play a key role in pushing rich countries to unlock new sources of public finance for climate action in order to support the world’s poorest communities - especially for those countries that are suffering a debt crisis too.
