Activists described climate impacts in their home countries and urged negotiators to include youth in UN discussions. Thousands of protesters again marched to the gates of the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, blocking access during a peaceful standoff.
Brazilian youth groups, indigenous communities, and climate organizations united to demand stronger action at the crucial UN meeting. Members of Fridays for Future highlighted the need for young people to gain representation in negotiations.
Rachelle Junsay from Climate Action Philippines expressed frustration, saying young people will inherit the planet and must shape decisions. She argued that negotiators in air-conditioned rooms speak about vulnerable communities without allowing them into the discussions.
Demonstrations Return After Three-Year Absence
Protesters demonstrated outside UN climate talks for the first time since 2021. Organizers promoted this year’s conference as a platform that empowers Indigenous peoples, yet demonstrations repeatedly disrupted the sessions.
Protesters surrounded the venue twice earlier in the week, including an incident on Tuesday that left two security guards with minor injuries. Saturday’s march stopped before the venue, where a full day of meetings was planned.
Many demonstrators celebrated the greater freedom to protest in Belem compared to recent host nations such as Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt. Youth leader Ana Heloisa Alves, 27, said she had never joined a climate march of this size and insisted that no one could ignore the crowd.
Alves marched to defend the Tapajos River, which the Brazilian government aims to develop commercially. Her group carried signs declaring that the river belongs to the people.
Participants Seek Broader Inclusion and Real Progress
Pablo Neri, coordinator for the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra in Pará, said conference organizers must involve more people to reflect a climate movement shifting toward widespread participation.
The climate talks will continue through Friday, 21 November. Analysts and attendees do not expect major new agreements, though many still hope for progress on past commitments, including funding to help poorer nations adapt to climate impacts.
The United States is absent from the discussions. President Donald Trump dismissed climate change as a scam and withdrew the country from the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aimed to limit global warming.
