As Brazil prepares to welcome delegates from around the world for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, some international participants have reported confusion and a lack of information upon arrival at the country’s busiest airport.
Despite Brazil’s role as host of one of the world’s largest environmental summits, immigration officers at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport appeared unaware of the upcoming event, according to several arriving delegates.
“I am not getting any reflection here after arrival in São Paulo, despite entering Brazil hassle-free,” said Al Amin Dewan, Special Correspondent for Techshohor, speaking to Just Energy News after arriving on Thursday.
Dewan, who is attending his second COP conference following his participation at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, said he expected more visible signs of Brazil’s hosting of the global climate event.
Another Bangladeshi journalist, Mohammad Azizur Rahman, Special Correspondent for The Financial Express, shared a similar experience.
“I am not seeing any indication of the COP30 conference in Brazil after arriving at São Paulo Airport on Thursday afternoon,” Rahman said, noting the apparent lack of signage or information about the event.
This correspondent also observed that currency exchange counters at the airport were offering significantly lower rates than those available outside. At the airport, one U.S. dollar was exchanged for around 3.5 Brazilian reals, compared to 5 reals per dollar elsewhere — a difference of roughly 30 percent.
COP30, which will be held in Belém, the capital of Brazil’s northern Pará state, is expected to draw thousands of delegates, negotiators, and climate activists from around the world. The conference will focus on global progress toward the 2015 Paris Agreement and highlight the Amazon region’s crucial role in combating climate change.