EU praises Brazil's efforts to drive COP30 climate negotiations

BELEM, Brazil, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth Wopke Hoekstra on Wednesday praised Brazil's presidency and efforts in driving the climate negotiations underway at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

The EU climate commissioner made the remarks at a press conference with the European Union delegation at the Hangar convention center in Belem, where the COP30 is being held. The conference opened on Nov. 10 and will run through Nov. 21, with climate negotiations currently in the final stage.

"It's fantastic that President Lula is putting all his political weight behind this," Hoekstra said. He noted that the EU welcomed Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's decision to designate Belem as the host city for COP30, which is geographically the gateway to the Amazon rainforest.

Regarding climate negotiations, Hoekstra noted that the energy transition must be accompanied by significant adaptation funding, a point "at the heart" of the negotiations. Mitigation alone is no longer enough to address a climate crisis that is advancing faster than expected, he said.

The most vulnerable countries, particularly small-island developing countries, must be prioritized because they are those most in need of funding and clearly bear less responsibility for the climate crisis, according to Hoekstra.

Meanwhile, he said that climate transformation requires more sustainable economic growth, but not a reduction in global growth. "Let's not fall into the fantasy that less growth helps those who need it most," Hoekstra said, adding that historically, recessions impact the most vulnerable sectors first.