Given the discharge of hosting prices in Belém, Pará, the president of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30), Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, expressed concern about a possible reduction of participations in the event, especially civil society and representatives from poorer countries.
“Evidently I want everyone to participate, because otherwise they say it won’t be legitimate if the poorest countries cannot participate,” he said on Wednesday (6) during a public hearing at the House of Representatives’ Environment and Sustainable Development Commission to talk about the preparation for the climate summit.
Delegations of various countries have questioned the United Nations Office for Climate About high prices of accommodation, including the richest nations.
According to Corrêa do Lago, it is common for lodging quotes to rise two or three times, but for Belém the rates found are ten to 15 times higher than usually offered.
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The ambassador confirmed that Austria President Alexander Van der Bellen has given up travel to Brazil because of costs and will send only his Minister of Climate and Environmental Protection, Norbert Totschnig, to the summit scheduled for November in the capital of Para.
“A rich country said it cannot afford Belém’s hotels because Parliament does not authorize, because for the president going to go to spend a fortune, and the minister is cheaper. So, it really is news that impresses,” he said.
Corrêa do Lago, also responsible for negotiations on climate issues, recalled that the conference’s structural and logistics issues are the responsibility of the COP30 Extraordinary Secretariat (Secop), linked to the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic.
“The presidency [da COP30] And my interventions began when this theme came to have an interference with the substance of COP. That is, if countries say they can’t come, then you are already affecting the negotiation. ”
Also according to the ambassador, “the presidency [da COP30] It has a position and concern to manifest, because, really, we want it to be a very inclusive COP and it is a COP where we really need civil society [e acadêmicos e cientistas] And we really need the business community too. ”
According to the ambassador, Secop and the Pará State Government are seeking legal solutions to prices, including consumer protection agencies.
“But Brazilian law, it seems, allows hotels to determine the price,” he argued.
Minister
Visiting the capital of Pará last weekendTourism Minister Celso Sabino said that the government’s dialogue with the hotel sector has had an effect and, according to him, all delegations will get accommodation at fair prices.
“The Brazilian government is acting strongly so that there are no arguments, including this one that there are no beds and that prices are exorbitant. I visited hotels here, today, that are being delivered with daily rates of $ 2,000 or $ 3,000,” the minister said in an interview with Brazil agency.
Another measure adopted is the hosting at subsidized prices for delegates from less developed countries and small island states.
The accommodation plan foresees 2,500 individual rooms with tariffs fixed between $ 100 and $ 600, with the following structure:
- 15 individual rooms per delegation were reserved for 73 countries classified by the United Nations such as Less Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Small In -Development States (PEIDS), with tariffs between $ 100 and $ 200;
- 10 individual rooms per delegation – with tariffs between $ 220 and $ 600 – were made available to other countries.
Still, according to Corrêa do Lago, these delegates receive a very low night and ask for cheaper values.
For the way to Belém, the cost allowance that the UN offers to some poorest nations to support its participation in climate conferences is $ 149 a day. Average quotations in private hotels and real estate in Belém are about $ 700 per person per night during COP30.
“We are fighting, but we will get everyone to participate,” said the president of COP30.
Corrêa do Lago ruled out COP30 from Belém and argued that the decision is symbolic, to hold the conference in an Amazonian city.
“There is no plan B, Plan B is B of Belém,” he said, emphasizing that the city will have an extremely positive COP legacy, including infrastructure and sanitation, due to the investments being made by the federal government to host the event.
About 45,000 people are expected to participate in COP30, and the Conference organization wants to expand the 18,000 hotel beds usually available in Belém. For this, two cruise ships will be used as temporary hotelswhich together have approximately 3,900 cabins with a capacity of up to 6,000 beds.
The city of Belém will also win three high -end hotels, built by international groups, and negotiations are being made with virtual platforms such as Airbnb and Booking to register real estate and increase the offer of available rooms.
