Putting pressure on the negotiations was the goal of these protesters. Waving signs and flags, they are demanding concrete decisions on climate change, including a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. “Stop the agreements with the big mining and oil companies, we are here to defend Mother Nature.” “I want the COP leaders to ignore the fossil fuel lobbyists and think about the people, think about the Indigenous peoples who protect these lands and who must continue to do so,” the protesters chanted.
Indigenous Peoples Excluded from Discussions
Since its opening on Monday in the heart of the Amazon, the climate summit has been disrupted by Indigenous peoples. The day before, they blocked the main entrance for several hours to obtain meetings with Brazilian officials. Indigenous people say they are being excluded from the discussions. “We want to be heard. We also want to participate in the negotiations, because we need to know what these negotiators, these presidents, these companies, these states are going to do with us,” explains Alessandra Korap, representative of the Munduruku Indigenous community.
Protesters and Indigenous Peoples
For now, negotiations are still proving difficult. Nearly 200 countries are present at COP 30, and each is holding firm to its position. Brazil, the summit’s host, is trying to reassure everyone. But many thorny issues remain to be addressed, such as financing the ecological transition of the most vulnerable countries, in order to reach an agreement before the conference ends on Friday, November 21.
