In an astonishing display of hypocrisy, the United Nations is bulldozing through tens of thousands of acres of the Amazon rainforest to make way for a four-lane highway ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
This high-profile event, set for November, will bring together over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders and activists. Ironically, many of them will likely arrive via private jets and drive on a road carved through what was once untouched natural beauty.
The state government touts the highway’s “sustainable” credentials, but some locals and conservationists are outraged at the environmental impact.
The Amazon is crucial for its role in absorbing global carbon emissions and supporting biodiversity. Yet, this massive deforestation project starkly contradicts the summit’s stated goals.
Currently, the road runs through over 13 kilometers (8 miles) of rainforest into Belém, with towering rainforest on either side serving as a stark reminder of what has been lost. Logs of cleared trees pile high, as diggers and machines pave over wetlands to create this controversial new route.
Local resident Claudio Verequete lamented to the BBC, saying that he used to rely on harvesting berries from these now-decimated trees. “Everything was destroyed,” he shared. “Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family.”
Adler Silveira, the state government’s infrastructure secretary, claims this highway is just one of 30 projects aimed at “preparing” and “modernizing” the city. He insists it will “provide a legacy for the population and, more importantly, serve people for COP30 in the best possible way.”
Climate insanity: “A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit…”
— Steve Guest
2025
