The article discusses the recent COP30 conference in Belém, Brazil, held to address the climate crisis. It highlights the disconnection between corporate interests and genuine environmental action, revealing how contemporary environmental policy favors financial capital over ecological integrity. Despite the celebration of market solutions and the ten-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the conference failed to address the structural causes of global warming, with warming projections suggesting a troubling rise of 2.5ºC by century’s end.
Critiques of COP30 emphasize the insufficient commitments made by participating countries, especially regarding emission reduction, and the pervasive influence of agribusiness and fossil fuel corporations, which have been able to lobby effectively without significant constraints. The Brazilian government’s continued reliance on agribusiness as a major GHG emitter only deepens these issues.
Parallel to COP30, the People’s Summit brought together over 25,000 participants to advocate for a different approach, firmly positioning capitalism as the primary driver of the climate crisis. Calls emerged for greater grassroots mobilization, politicizing environmental disputes, and developing a transformative agenda that emphasizes agroecology and social justice, ultimately arguing for a break from the dominant capitalist model.
The document underscores the need for a collective, anti-colonial, and sustainable approach to solving the climate crisis, stressing that real solutions must come from organized movements committed to socio-environmental justice.
