The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference began with floods and ended with fire. Early into the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, torrential rain flooded the entrance to the conference and threatened parts of the venue. Later, a fire in one of the pavilions forced an evacuation and interrupted negotiations already slipping into overtime. The symbolism of all this was hard to miss. Belém was not just a host city as a gateway to the Amazon River. It is a stand-in for the kinds of frontline cities where climate shocks collide with rapid growth, weak infrastructure and deep inequality.
Thank you for registering!
An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.