-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-Özetini-Yayınladı-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
-webp.webp)
COP30 President: “The Solution Will Come with Economic Change”
08 Jul 2025The world faces the danger of "economic denial" in the climate fight. COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago, who made this warning, emphasized the importance of economic-based solutions to the climate crisis and stated that the fight should now be against those who deny this.
Experienced Brazilian diplomat Andre Correa do Lago, who will chair this year's United Nations (UN) summit COP30, warned that the world is facing a new form of climate denial. Lago stated that this time the denial was not based on rejecting climate science, but an organized attack on the idea of reorganizing the economy to fight against the crisis.
“We Are Facing the Discrediting of Climate Policies”
The COP30 President stated that his biggest task will be to counter the efforts of some interest groups to block climate policies that aim to shift the global economy to a low-carbon structure, adding: "We are facing a new kind of opposition to climate action. We are facing the discrediting of climate policies. I think what we are experiencing now is not climate denial in the classic sense. This is not a scientific denial, it is an economic denial."
Lago warned that this economic denial could be as dangerous as repeated efforts to deny climate science in previous years and could lead to similar delays in climate action.
As the climate crisis accelerates, temperatures are rising and the effects of extreme weather events are becoming more pronounced; Scientists are increasingly able to clearly demonstrate the links between greenhouse gas emissions and anthropogenic impacts on the planet. According to Correa do Lago, the direction of the debate has therefore shifted from efforts to distort or trivialize science to efforts to undermine climate policies.
Populist Politicians Fuel Backlash Against Climate Policies
Rising populist politicians around the world continue to fuel a backlash against climate policies. This was most clearly seen in the United States during the presidency of Donald Trump, who attempted to undo policies aimed at promoting renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sought to eliminate all climate-related state-supported institutions.
Correa do Lago wants to launch a new global effort to tell people that shifting the economy away from dependence on fossil fuels and towards a future based on clean energy will bring benefits for everyone.
“It's the Turn of Those Who Believe in Fighting Climate Change”
Lago said: "The new populism is trying to show that fighting against the climate crisis does not work. Now it is the turn of those who believe in fighting climate change. These people need to show and prove that it is possible to fight and that it can come with economic advantages and a better quality of life."
Correa do Lago, who was originally an economist, continued his career as a diplomat. He joined the Brazilian foreign ministry in 1983 and previously served as ambassador to India and Japan. He is also a senior participant in the annual "conference of the parties" COP talks, which this year will be held in November in the city of Belem, near the mouth of the Amazon River.
“What We Need Are Answers in the Form of Policy Measures”
Lago stated that most answers should come from economics, adding: "Because we now have enough scientific evidence. It has been shown enough how climate change affects people's lives. What we need now are answers in the form of policy measures. Economists need to take action."
In the last 20 years, economists have begun to take on the task of combating the climate crisis. One of the turning points in this process was the important review published in 2006 by Nicholas Stern, former chief economist of the World Bank. Stern revealed that controlling greenhouse gas emissions would be cheaper than doing nothing. This view contradicted previous claims made by some economists that "moving away from fossil fuels would either not be worth it or would be too expensive."
Since then, many reports reaching similar conclusions have been published. Finally, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) prepared a joint report this year. This report, the final version of which will be published next month, reveals that fighting against the climate crisis will materially increase economic growth, that is, it is not only a necessary cost but also an opportunity.
The Climate Issue Should Be Included in Economic Theory
But still mainstream economic thought does not take the climate crisis into account sufficiently. For example, many governments do not include climate impacts in their forecasts when preparing budgets, and companies do the same. Additionally, most economic estimates of climate damage fall far short of the actual damage.
Stating that this situation shows that there is still a lot to be done, Lago said, "Climate has not yet been satisfactorily integrated into economic theory, because it is a disturbing element of the system."
Correa do Lago also has the difficult task of convincing 196 countries to prepare new national greenhouse gas emissions plans in the next few months. Brazil, meanwhile, is struggling with the logistical challenges of holding the COP30 summit in the Amazon rainforest. Building a road through the forest sparked controversy earlier this year. However, Brazilian officials said that this route was already planned before COP30 was delivered to Belém. The Brazilian President's environmental record also raises some concerns; because the government still continues to approve mining and oil drilling projects. But these challenges pale in comparison to geopolitical headwinds on a global scale.
Trump will not attend the summit and has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement. His attitude encouraged countries that wanted to undermine progress. Countries that rely on oil economies or have populist-oriented governments, such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Argentina and Venezuela, are among the actors that could potentially disrupt the process. Other major economies may fall short of their commitments, even if they are not explicitly prohibitive, which could be equally damaging.
Each country must prepare a “national contribution declaration” (NDC), a complex document that includes its targets for greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and the policies it plans to achieve these targets. However, despite the February deadline, only a few countries have submitted these documents so far. The EU, China, Japan and India still have not submitted their documents. The United Kingdom's plan was presented together with Brazil last year.
The Ozone Layer Issue is the Biggest Global Example
On the other hand, Brazil and last year's host Azerbaijan are working on a "road map" that will determine what countries should do to achieve financial targets, one of the important issues regarding the climate crisis. A draft of this road map will be ready before governments meet in the Amazon in November.
For Correa do Lago, the hope lies in the world being able to solve an existential crisis like climate in the same way that governments came together to address the hole in the ozone layer 40 years ago. Lago said: "Climate change is a much more complex issue. These gases last much longer and the impact on the economy is infinitely greater than the elimination of ozone-depleting gases. But the ozone layer is the only example we have of an environmental crisis in which human action can change its direction. What if we fail? The alternative would be accelerated climate change."
Source: Climate News
Latest
News & Updates
