This year, the leaders of the world’s top three carbon-emitting countries—China, the United States, and India—will not be present at COP30.

Viviana Santiago, who serves as the executive director of Oxfam Brazil, mentioned that there is significant anticipation surrounding this year’s conference.

“Regardless of whether temperatures rise or fall, climate change is happening. In my view, it’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” remarked Trump.

The gateway to the Amazon

The location of the meeting is also a source of controversy.

The meeting also marks ten years since the Mariana dam collapse, Brazil’s greatest environmental disaster, which released toxic mud that devastated local communities.

“Even as we understand the process of reparation, we recognise there is something you cannot bring back. You can’t bring back the 19 lives or the clean, healthy river,” she said.

The goals of this year’s COP

Brazil has also laid out a plan with other leaders to scale climate finance for developing countries to $2 trillion dollars.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific COP31 leader Dr Simon Bradshaw said the continued rise in global temperatures is a wake-up call for leaders.

Based on those submissions, the UN projects emissions will fall ten per cent by 2035 — but that’s still far short of the 60 per cent decline in emissions needed by the same year to keep global warming to 1.5C, according to the UNEP.

Australia has a target to reduce emissions by 62 to 70 per cent by 2035, which is slightly lower than Europe’s goal of 66 to 72.5 per cent.

Australia’s bid for COP31

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has drawn criticism for not attending the summit this year, despite Australia bidding to co-host next year’s meeting alongside Pacific Island nations.