Theme: organizing the world climate conference in Brazil, in the heart of the Amazon, to shine a spotlight on the scourge of deforestation and the hard life of indigenous communities. How it goes: We evict Brazilian citizens from their homes, we pave over the Amazon rainforest to build a four-lane highway, and we authorize mega cruises for COP30 attendees.
What a mess this climate summit is, which is revealing all the contradictions of the policies – made up only of slogans – carried out by the leaders of the Earth (many of whom chose not to participate).
Organizing a global climate summit in Belèm, in the heart of the Amazon, should have been a powerful gesture. An opportunity to raise awareness of the great challenges faced by the most important rainforest on our planet and by those who have lived there for centuries, protecting it. Instead it became a dangerous boomerang. While the Earth’s leaders take turns at the microphones talking about “sustainability”, “green transition” and “cutting emissions”, what has happened and is happening outside the summit pavilions goes exactly in the opposite direction.
The Amazon rainforest paved over to build a huge highway
In the green lung of the Earth, bulldozers have sown devastation. Also in the name of climate protection. To improve mobility and also cope with the influx of around 50 thousand participants at the COP30 in Belém, the authorities of Para have thought well of building a motorway that crosses a protected area of the rainforest. The bulldozers cleared away trees, opening gaps for cars to pass. 13.3 kilometers of asphalt with two lanes in each direction, as well as three viaducts and a bridge over the Aurá river.
The idea of building the Avenida Liberdade highway was initially proposed by the Pará State in 2012, but was postponed several times. Then came the perfect opportunity to break the deadlock: the choice of Belém as the host city of the COP30 climate summit in November 2025 reignited interest in the plan.
The pharaonic project was described to the BBC by Adler Silveira, Infrastructure Secretary of the Pará government, as a “sustainable highway”, as the project includes wildlife corridors and solar-powered lighting. But do we really want to convince ourselves that a mega road that cuts through the Amazon like a wound is synonymous with progress and ecological transition?
The Amazon is literally dying because of the meat industry: fires are being set in the forest to graze farmed animals, while criminal organizations carry out deforestation and mining activities, threatening legal communities.
The lungs of the Earth need protection, not new roads and further smog. According to a recent study by Greenpeace International (“Toxic Skies: How Agribusiness is Choking the Amazon”), those who live in the heart of the forest breathe more polluted air than that of megacities such as Beijing, Sao Paulo or London.
How sad those two cruises chartered for COP30
Also leaving a bitter taste in the mouth is the presence of two imposing cruise ships MSC Seaview and Costa Diadema, which are quite noticeable in the modest Brazilian port of Belém. in the absence of other places available, the boats are used as floating accommodation for thousands of delegates attending COP30.
“The chartering of the ships is part of the federal government’s strategy to expand Belém’s accommodation capacity during COP30. – we read on the summit website – The objective is to guarantee adequate and accessible accommodation to the thousands of conference participants, strengthening Brazil’s commitment to an inclusive, sustainable and successful COP.”
Definitely sustainable from the eco-monsters that pollute the waters of Brazil… Just what we needed. The most authentic thing about this COP? The voice, full of anger and exasperation, of the indigenous peoples.
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