Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has described the Amazon rainforest as the “greatest symbol of the environmental cause” just months after his government oversaw the clearance of a 13-kilometre stretch of protected forest to build roads for COP30.

Speaking on Thursday, Lula said, “More than 30 years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Climate Convention returns to the country where it was born. Today, the eyes of the world are upon Belém with great anticipation. In the global imagination, there is no greater symbol of the environmental cause than the Amazon rainforest.”

The remarks come as Brazil hosts the UN climate summit in Belém, the capital of Pará state.

Earlier this year, construction began on a four-lane highway known as Avenida Liberdade, which cuts through protected areas of rainforest. The road was promoted by the state government as a sustainable infrastructure project, featuring solar lighting, bike lanes and wildlife crossings.

However, satellite imagery and media reports confirmed that tens of thousands of acres of forest were cleared to make way for the development. Environmental groups and local residents have criticised the project, arguing that it undermines the summit’s goals and Brazil’s environmental commitments.

The Amazon rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the global climate, absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide and helping to stabilise weather patterns across continents.

COP30 takes place in a week when the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed that October 2025 was the third warmest October globally since records began. The global average surface air temperature for the month was 15.30 degrees Celsius, 1.34 degrees above the pre-industrial baseline.

In its ninth official letter ahead of the summit, the COP30 Presidency called for “acceleration, cooperation and courage” in global climate action. The letter urged governments to move beyond incremental progress and deliver real emissions reductions, particularly in the context of the Global Stocktake and the need to align national targets with the 1.5°C goal.

The letter also highlighted the importance of trust and solidarity between nations, especially between developed and developing countries. It framed COP30 as a critical moment to rebuild confidence in the multilateral process and to deliver meaningful outcomes for people and the planet.

COP30 has drawn 50,000 heads of state, scientists and campaigners to Belém, including Taoiseach Michéal Martin who was expected to return to Ireland on Saturday night.