World leaders and delegates gathered at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, to spotlight the mounting human and ecological costs of global warming, with delegates urging faster action as visible impacts mount. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the summit that Earth can no longer sustain intensive fossil-fuel use and called for a rapid energy transition. Representatives from vulnerable countries described current harms — from dying coral to extreme weather — and pressed wealthier nations to shoulder greater responsibility for emissions and climate losses. The summit was underscored by a notable lack of top-level U.S. participation and public criticism from U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who called the conference misguided.

Highlights:

• Front-line testimony: Delegates from highly vulnerable nations delivered vivid accounts of climate impacts — coral die-off, coastal flooding and worsening heat — framing the talks as a life-and-death issue for some populations.
• Calls for responsibility: Negotiators and campaigners pressed developed, high-emitting countries to increase finance and accountability for losses and damage, a recurring demand throughout early COP30 sessions.
• Host country tensions: President Lula's forceful call to end intensive fossil-fuel development comes while his government recently approved new oil drilling in the Amazon, highlighting domestic tensions at the summit.
• Timeline disputes: Several delegations warned that setting a specific global date to eliminate fossil fuels is politically difficult, with Mexico's environment secretary calling rigid deadlines problematic for oil-producing countries.

Earth can no longer sustain the development model based on the intensive use of fossil fuels that has prevailed over the past 200 years - Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Perspectives:

• Brazil — President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: Lula warned that the planet cannot continue the development model built on intensive fossil fuel use and urged a rapid transition to cleaner energy. (The New Arab)
• Vulnerable countries' delegations: Delegates from countries on the front lines described direct harms from warming — dying coral, rising seas and extreme storms — and pressed for more finance and protection. (Firstpost)
• United States — Energy Secretary Chris Wright: Energy Secretary Chris Wright criticized the COP30 conference as harmful and misguided, underscoring the U.S. administration's public distancing from the summit. (ABC News)

Sources:

• Leaders at COP30 Climate Summit in Belém Focus on the Rising Toll of Warming - nytimes.com
• COP30 climate summit hears from countries suffering global warming harms - aljazeera.com
• COP30: Climate summit in Brazil hears plight of countries suffering due to global warming - firstpost.com
• Earth 'can no longer sustain' intensive fossil fuel use, Lula tells COP30 - reddit.com
• Earth cannot 'sustain' intensive fossil fuel use, Lula tells COP30 - newarab.com
• Trump's energy secretary slams UN climate conference in Brazil, where US absence is glaring - abcnews.go.com