Brazil's president urges world leaders to 'defeat' climate crisis deniers at opening of COP30

At the first plenary session, Lula directly challenged climate skepticism and the spread of misinformation, which he argued hinders global cooperation.

"In the age of misinformation, obscurantists reject not only scientific evidence but also the advances of multilateralism," he said. "They control algorithms, sow hatred, and spread fear. They attack institutions, science, and universities. It is time to inflict a new defeat on the deniers."

The strong condemnation came as prominent leaders from the world's biggest economies, including the US, China, and India, are notably absent from the summit.

Lula condemned the absence of "the men who wage war,” specifically calling out the increased defense budgets promoted by the US and Europe.

He also criticized the massive global spending on defense, arguing that it represents a misallocation of resources that should be channeled into climate solutions for developing countries.

The leftist leader contrasted the cost of conflict with the investment needed to meet climate goals.

"If the men who wage war were at COP30, it would be much cheaper to spend $1.3 trillion a year to end the climate problem than $2.7 trillion to wage war as they did last year," he said.

He called for negotiators to be ambitious and recommit to the core objective of the Paris Agreement: limiting global warming to less than 2C compared to pre-industrial levels, with an aim for 1.5C. The agreement requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing economic contributions to mitigate the crisis's impact.

Lula also highlighted the symbolic importance of holding the summit in Belem, which lies in the heart of the Amazon but where half the population lacks basic sanitation.