Lula taps longtime climate diplomat as Brazil's COP30 chief

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has decided to name Andre Correa do Lago, the secretary of energy and environment at Brazil’s foreign affairs ministry, as head of the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference the country will host later this year, Report informs via Bloomberg.

A diplomat and economist with deep experience in environmental matters, Correa do Lago will assume the responsibility of leading global climate negotiations and setting the agenda for the conference known as COP30, which will take place in the Amazonian city of Belem.

A review of the Paris climate agreement will likely serve as the focal point of the event, as nations analyze progress made under the 2015 pact. Leaders gathered in Brazil, which will host the event for the first time, are also set to assess whether countries are hitting emissions reduction targets known as NDCs.

“It is a huge honor and we’re all going to have to build the COP all together,” Correa do Lago said in comments to journalists Tuesday

Correa do Lago previously acted as Brazil’s chief negotiator for climate change and sustainable development, coordinating its approach to global conferences like Rio+20 — a UN sustainable development event held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 — COP28 in Dubai, and COP29 in Baku.

He also led Brazil’s green efforts during its recently-concluded Group of 20 nations presidency, which Lula sought to use to ramp up global climate action and convince rich countries to deliver the environmental aid they’d previously promised to developing nations. His efforts have focused on sustainability and energy transition initiatives, in particular.