Statement at the General Plenary of the Belém Climate Summit

I would like to express my profound appreciation to President Lula and to the COP President for convening us at this pivotal moment. I also extend my sincere thanks to Secretary General Guterres for his powerful remarks. 

Excellencies,

The World Meteorological Organization is today releasing its State of the Climate Update 2025. It is a report grounded in science to guide COP30 with trusted evidence. It shows the key climate trends and their impacts on people, livelihoods and economies everywhere.

I stand before you today with the hard truth, as Secretary General Guterres has just said. We cannot defy the laws of physics. Science does not lie. The alarming streak of exceptional temperatures continues.

2025 is set to be either the second or third warmest year we have ever observed. The average temperature in January-August 2025 was about 1.42 °Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are their highest in 800,000 years, thus committing our planet to a warmer and more dangerous future. And, of particular concern, the jump in carbon dioxide levels between 2023 and 2024 was the highest we have ever measured.

Ocean heat content is also record high, inflicting lasting damage on marine ecosystems and economies.

Long-term sea level rise continues.

Both Antarctic and Arctic sea ice are tracking at record lows.

And, on a daily basis, we see destructive weather: Months worth of rainfall in a matter of minutes, extreme heat and fire; and super-charged tropical cyclones. I extend my deep condolences to all those affected. 

Each event leaves lasting impacts. The scars remain long after the headlines.

Excellencies,

This is not just a distant warning. It is today’s reality.

The record increase in greenhouse gas levels means that it will be virtually impossible to limit global warming to 1.5 °C in the next few years without temporarily overshooting the Paris Agreement target.

Every fraction of a degree matters.

But there is progress — real and measurable.

Across the globe, early warnings are saving lives. 

We are closing gaps in the world’s most vulnerable regions, helping communities act before hazards strike.

Climate services are transforming decision-making. Two-thirds of WMO Members now provide climate information — from heat-health alerts to agricultural forecasts.

Science is not only warning us; it is equipping us to adapt.

Excellencies,

Let COP30 be remembered as the moment the world changed course — with the Amazon as its witness.

We can’t rewrite the laws of physics, but we can rewrite our path.

Thank you.