Mr. Issifu Seidu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability has represented the President of the Republic of Ghana at the Pre-Conference of Parties (COP) 30 Leaders’ Summit held in Belém, Brazil.
The high-level meeting, jointly organised by the Government of Brazil, the COP30 Presidency, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), brought together leaders from 153 delegations to strengthen political coordination ahead of the COP30 negotiations.
In his opening address, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, called for urgent global action to protect forests and accelerate the energy transition, describing COP30 as “the COP of truth.”
He urged leaders to act decisively to reverse deforestation, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and mobilize resources for a fair and sustainable transition.
President Lula also launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), an innovative mechanism to channel long-term financing into tropical forest preservation.
The initiative received strong international backing, with pledges from Norway, $3 billion, Brazil and Indonesia $1 billion each, and France, €500 million, among others.
António Guterres, United Nations’ Secretary-General, reiterated the call for urgent action, stressing that, “this is no longer the time for negotiations. It is time for implementation, implementation, and implementation.”
The first day of the Summit also saw over 40 countries and international organisations endorse a call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience, aimed at strengthening prevention, indigenous leadership, and technology transfer to enhance global climate and biodiversity resilience.
Ghana’s participation at the Summit reflects the country’s continued commitment to international climate diplomacy and its support for coordinated global efforts to deliver meaningful progress at COP30.
GNA
