Amazon Deforestation for COP30 Highway Sparks Outrage

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An eight-mile stretch of protected Amazon rainforest has been cleared to make way for a new four-lane highway, intended to facilitate travel for the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil. Drone footage reveals wide dirt paths cutting through the dense greenery, while heavy machinery paves over wetlands in what is considered the world's most biodiverse region. The road is meant to ease congestion for the expected 50,000 attendees, including world leaders.

 

 

Logs have been seen stacked along the cleared land, marking a stark contrast to the original plans. The state government of Pará had previously scrapped the project, known as Avenida Liberdade, due to environmental concerns. However, preparations for COP30 reignited the proposal, leading to its swift approval. Adler Silveira, Pará’s infrastructure secretary, justified the road’s construction, calling it an “important mobility intervention” and a “sustainable highway.” He emphasized the lasting benefits for the local population and the necessity of accommodating COP30 attendees.

 

 

 

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the decision, stating that the summit would be “a COP in the Amazon, not a COP about the Amazon.” He insisted the event would highlight the region’s needs while demonstrating the federal government’s commitment to its protection. Despite these assurances, critics argue that cutting down parts of the Amazon—an essential carbon sink—directly contradicts the summit's climate-focused mission.  

Local residents have voiced their frustrations, fearing long-term consequences. Claudio Verequete, who lives just 200 meters from the highway, expressed his dismay. “Our harvest has already been cut down. We no longer have that income to support our family,” he told the BBC. He also noted that he has received no compensation from the government and worries that the road’s construction will encourage further deforestation. Adding to the community’s concerns, the highway is expected to be walled off, potentially cutting off access for those living nearby. “For us who live on the side of the highway, there will be no benefits. There will be benefits for the trucks that will pass through. If someone gets sick and needs to go to the center of Belém, we won’t be able to use it,” he added.  

 

This development comes amid broader environmental crises in the Amazon. In August 2024, vast fires swept through the Amazon, Cerrado savannah, and Pantanal wetland, with many ignited intentionally to clear land. At the same time, the Amazon River reached record lows for the second consecutive year, prompting emergency aid efforts for affected communities. A major tributary of the river in Brazil fell to its lowest recorded level, exacerbating the region’s growing environmental distress.  

 

Meanwhile, climate summits themselves face scrutiny over their environmental impact, particularly regarding the use of private jets by world leaders and corporate executives. At COP28 in Dubai, an estimated 291 private flights linked to the event generated 3,800 tonnes of CO2—equivalent to the annual emissions of over 500 people. Alethea Warrington, head of energy, aviation, and heat at climate action charity Possible, criticized the hypocrisy. “Travelling by private jet is a horrendous waste of the world’s scarce remaining carbon budget,” she told *The Times.* “Each journey produces more emissions in a few hours than the average person emits in an entire year.”  

 

Similar patterns were observed at COP27 in Egypt, where dozens of private jets landed in Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairo. The popular Gulfstream G650, a frequent choice for summit attendees, burns nearly 1,900 liters of fuel per hour, producing 23.9 tonnes of CO2 on a five-hour flight. Factoring in non-CO2 emissions at high altitudes, a single Gulfstream flight to COP27 may have generated over 45 tonnes of CO2—more than an average person emits annually.  

 

At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the trend escalated. A staggering 65 private jets arrived in the week leading up to the summit, nearly double the number recorded at COP28. Within just two days, 45 flights landed as the conference commenced. Warrington condemned the double standards: “For CEOs who claim to care about tackling the climate crisis, using a private jet to get to COP shows blatant hypocrisy.”  

 

Despite public backlash, government officials have defended their travel choices. A UK government spokesperson maintained that their delegation’s flight to COP27 was “on one of the most carbon-efficient planes of its size in the world” and that emissions were being offset. However,

environmentalists argue that such assurances ring hollow when world leaders continue to rely on private jets, contradicting the very essence of these climate summits.

 

Based on a report by BBC | Daily Mail  2025-03-15

 

 

[JimHuaHin]

Madness!!!