Representatives from some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations delivered emotional accounts of their struggles with the escalating effects of global warming on Friday, as world leaders gathered on the edge of the Amazon rainforest for the annual United Nations climate summit.
Before the formal opening on Monday, delegates focused on mobilizing support for forest protection and global carbon markets, while also listening to vivid testimony from countries already suffering from rising temperatures and extreme weather.
Haitian diplomat Smith Augustin, whose nation was devastated by Hurricane Melissa, urged wealthy, high-emitting nations to honor their pledges to help poorer countries adapt. “The hurricanes and heavy rains have destroyed my country,” he said. “Developing nations, especially small island states, bear the least responsibility for this crisis.”
Kenya’s Vice President Kithure Kindiki described how flooding and landslides caused by relentless rains have killed dozens and left many missing. “Once-in-a-century droughts and floods now occur regularly,” he warned.
From the Marshall Islands, Foreign Minister Kalani Kaneko painted a bleak picture: “The sea rises, coral dies, and the fish leave our shores for cooler waters. We live this reality every day.”
Time Running Short
Experts say the world is rapidly losing the chance to limit warming to the 1.5°C (2.7°F) target set in the Paris Agreement. Last year was the hottest on record, and scientists warn that even minor temperature increases trigger severe droughts, heat waves, and storms.
“This year’s hurricane made that painfully clear,” said Racquel Moses, head of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator. “Ignoring the Caribbean is no longer possible — our way of life depends on these talks succeeding.”
Missing Leaders and Divided Responses
The absence of major figures also loomed large. U.S. President Donald Trump, who dismisses climate change as a “hoax,” skipped the summit entirely, as did China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi.
In their absence, officials from those countries pledged to push ahead with clean-energy goals. China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang vowed to “accelerate the green transition in all areas,” stressing that China, the world’s largest emitter, is also a leader in renewable power.
Indian diplomat Dinesh Bahata highlighted that renewables now make up half of India’s energy capacity and criticized richer nations for failing to match developing countries’ progress. “While developing nations act decisively, developed ones continue to lag,” he said.
Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of the African Union added that poor nations cannot decarbonize without real financial help. “We don’t seek charity — we seek climate justice,” he said.
From Tuvalu, Environment Minister Maina Vakafua Talia condemned the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. “Mr. President, this is a shameful disregard for the world,” he said. The White House responded that Trump would not risk U.S. economic or national security for “vague climate goals.”
Progress on Forests and Carbon Markets
Delegates reported headway on two fronts: financing to protect rainforests and the creation of a unified global carbon market.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced a new fund to reward 74 developing countries for preserving forests. The initiative received $5.5 billion in initial pledges from Brazil, Norway, France, and Indonesia, with Germany promising additional support. The fund aims to attract as much as $125 billion in investment.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb praised the plan as evidence that financial innovation can drive emissions cuts. “We may be seeing a turning point on global carbon emissions,” he said.
Brazil and the European Union also unveiled a coalition, joined by China and other nations, to align the world’s various carbon-trading systems into one global market — allowing countries and companies that emit less to sell credits to those that exceed limits.
Indigenous Voices Gain Ground
This year’s summit in Belem, deep in the Amazon, has been billed as the most inclusive yet for Indigenous leaders, who have long been sidelined in climate negotiations. Brazil’s government expects more than 3,000 Indigenous participants, compared to just 170 at last year’s talks.
“This time, the world is coming to our home — to the heart of the Amazon,” said Olivia Bisa, a leader of Peru’s Chapra nation. “We need to be inside the room, not outside it.”
Yet, Indigenous activists have also accused Brazil of hypocrisy for approving new oil drilling near the Amazon River. On Friday, hundreds of protesters occupied cargo boats on the Tapajós River, denouncing plans for a railway through their ancestral lands.
“This is our message to the world’s leaders,” said Marília Sena of the Tupinamba nation. “We have protected this forest for centuries — now the world must stand with us.”