As the global community continues to confront the escalating climate crisis, the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) remains the premier platform for international climate diplomacy. With COP30 on the horizon, the choice of host city is not merely a logistical or symbolic decision—it is a matter that profoundly affects the credibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of the conference. Brazil’s northern city of Belém has been proposed as a host for COP30, and while the idea might seem appealing at first glance due to the region’s ecological significance, there are compelling reasons why this choice is ill-advised and why alternative locations should be considered.
Belém sits at the gateway of the Amazon rainforest, the so-called “lungs of the planet.” At first blush, hosting COP30 in Belém could spotlight the critical role of the Amazon in global climate stability. The world has a stake in protecting this vast ecosystem from deforestation, fires, and biodiversity loss. Yet precisely because the region is so ecologically sensitive, the presence of a massive international event risks environmental degradation.
COP meetings bring thousands of delegates, media, and support staff from around the world. Accommodating this influx demands infrastructure, transportation, and resource allocation that could strain local ecosystems. Hosting thousands of visitors means increased carbon footprints from air travel and land transportation—paradoxical for a conference seeking to cut emissions. In areas where fragile ecosystems are already under threat from illegal logging and development pressure, the risk of further environmental harm simply cannot be ignored.
Belém is a historic city with limited infrastructure to support an event like COP. Unlike major global cities or established conference hubs, Belém lacks the extensive hotel capacity, advanced convention facilities, and efficient international transport links that such a high-profile gathering demands.
The city’s international airport is relatively small and does not cater to the volume or frequency of direct international flights that COP delegates would require. Many attendees inevitably would face long, complex, and carbon-intensive connecting flights that result in increased emissions and travel fatigue, eroding opportunities for meaningful diplomacy.
Public transport and road infrastructure are also underdeveloped compared to other candidate cities that have hosted major international summits. This limits the ability to move participants efficiently and sustainably between venues, hotels, and meeting sites. Insufficient infrastructure also creates security challenges, which are paramount for high-level political events like COPs.
Brazil’s political environment in recent years has been marked by controversies over environmental policies, particularly around the Amazon. The federal government’s approach to deforestation and indigenous land rights has drawn criticism from parts of the international community. High rates of illegal logging, mining, and land grabbing have surged, fueled in part by lax enforcement and political rhetoric that sometimes appears to undermine conservation efforts.
Bringing COP30 to Belém sends a complicated message. It risks appearing to reward a country whose current stewardship of the Amazon is under question. Critics argue that this could undermine the legitimacy of the UNFCCC process and weaken the collective resolve needed to tackle carbon emissions globally.
Furthermore, the host city’s local communities—many of whom are indigenous or traditional populations with deep ties to the forest—have experienced ongoing social challenges, including marginalization, land disputes, and violence. Past COPs have occasionally seen protests and clashes over indigenous rights and environmental justice. Holding COP30 in Belém could exacerbate local tensions, especially if community consultation and participation are inadequate. The success of COP requires a welcoming environment where all stakeholders feel heard and safe.
A central principle of COP is inclusivity—ensuring that voices from developing countries and marginalized groups are heard in shaping climate actions. One of the challenges COP faces is the high cost and complexity of attendance, which already limits participation from less affluent nations.
Belém’s location, infrastructure, and travel connectivity complicate accessibility. Long, costly flights and accommodation expenses could disproportionately exclude smaller delegations and civil society actors from the Global South who already struggle to participate. Achieving meaningful representation requires minimizing such barriers.
In comparison, cities with better global connectivity and conference infrastructure reduce travel costs, minimize emissions, and encourage participation from a wider range of stakeholders. COP’s effectiveness depends on inclusivity, and hosting it in Belém could narrow the conversation.
It is crucial to consider COP’s carbon footprint. Paradoxically, these conferences generate significant emissions due to air travel, ground transport, energy use in conference venues, and waste production.
Hosting COP30 in Belém would add emissions through multiple layers: the flights required to reach a relatively isolated northern Amazon city; the expanded local transportation infrastructure; and the burden on local energy grids. Brazil currently relies heavily on hydropower, but adding the surge in demand during COP might still push the limits or require fossil-fuel backup generation, especially if accommodations and venues lack adequate green certifications.
While all COPs face these challenges, practical steps can reduce the carbon footprint—such as choosing cities with direct global links, efficient public transport, and “green” venues powered by renewables. Belém’s relative remoteness and limited sustainable infrastructure work against these goals.
The choice of host city should align with COP’s mission of accelerating global climate ambition by shining a light on urgent priorities while maximizing inclusion, equity, and effectiveness.
Brazil’s Amazon remains a critical priority, but focusing attention on conservation needs to be done with care, avoiding tokenism or complicity in policies that enable deforestation. Instead, COP can partner with local governments and indigenous groups on side events, virtual summits, and collaborative campaigns that bring Amazon issues to an international audience without risking environmental harm or social tensions from a full-scale conference.
Alternatively, Brazil could host COP in a southern city like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, where infrastructure, connectivity, and accommodation are far better suited to an international event. Such locations offer a balance of highlighting Brazil’s crucial role in the climate debate while meeting logistical and environmental standards.
Internationally, other cities have demonstrated excellence in hosting COPs by combining operational readiness, strong sustainability commitments, and political environments more supportive of aggressive climate action. Choosing those cities will safeguard COP’s reputation and efficacy for years to come.
COP30 is a pivotal moment for the world to demonstrate greater unity and ambition in facing climate change. Its success depends not only on the negotiations conducted in meeting rooms but also on the symbolic and practical message its venue conveys.
Belém, Brazil, notwithstanding its proximity to the Amazon, is not an appropriate host for COP30. Its limited infrastructure, accessibility challenges, potential environmental risks, and the current political context surrounding the Brazilian Amazon all undermine COP’s goals.
A better approach is to select host cities where COP can operate at maximum efficiency and inclusiveness while minimizing carbon emissions and social conflict. At the same time, the world should fully integrate Amazon conservation into global climate strategies through partnerships, funding mechanisms, and side initiatives that honor the rights of indigenous peoples and the safeguarding of one of earth’s most vital ecosystems.
Choosing wisely where to hold COP is as important as what commitments are made inside the conference halls. For COP30, that means looking beyond the allure of symbolism toward pragmatism—and the unyielding pursuit of a just and effective global climate response. Belém, for all its natural beauty and significance, is unfortunately not the right place for that endeavor.
Asaduzzaman shamrat, senior journalist and Climate activist
