Source: Amnesty International –
From 10-21 November, world leaders, scientists, activists, negotiators, diplomats, Indigenous Peoples and other affected communities will gather in Belém, Brazil for COP30, the annual UN climate conference.
COP30 arrives at a critical moment. It’s the first conference since the news that the world passed the 1.5°C threshold of heating above pre-industrial levels, a limit long considered vital to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. This milestone underscores the urgency of bold, coordinated action.
Putting human rights at the heart of climate policy is crucial for achieving climate justice. Leaders can stand up to corporate interests, push for a fast and just phase out of fossil fuels. COP also presents an opportunity to ensure environmental human rights defenders on the frontlines of climate change are protected and are allowed to meaningfully participate in climate decision making.
Leaders also have an opportunity to agree on how to scale up climate finance in the form of grants, not loans, to help those most impacted by climate change, rather than pushing countries the least responsible for climate change further into debt.
The science is undeniable. Climate change is getting worse and human activities, particularly the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, are the main cause. But if we work together, united by our shared humanity, we can create a future that delivers climate justice.