Polluters 'must pay the bill', Greenpeace warns at COP30: Video
Greenpeace’s flagship vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, arrived in Belém during the COP30 summit, opening its decks to visitors while carrying a stark message: the world is running out of time to act on the climate crisis.
The ship’s presence became a symbol of civil society pressure at a summit that has drawn record participation from Indigenous groups and environmental organisations.
Romulo Batista, coordinator of Greenpeace Brazil’s Forest Solutions project, used the moment to issue one of the summit’s clearest demands. “Another extremely important point is our demand directed at polluters. They must pay the bill for climate change and, in particular, ensure the just energy transition of developing countries, so they do not have to go through a high-carbon economy to develop,” he said.
For Greenpeace, holding major emitters financially accountable is essential to prevent poorer nations from repeating the carbon-heavy development paths of richer countries.
COP30 itself has centred on protecting the Amazon and accelerating global climate action, particularly in regions most exposed to environmental degradation. Greenpeace’s intervention underscored a broader concern shared by many at the summit: that without binding commitments forcing the world’s biggest polluters to pay for the damage they have caused, the promise of a just transition will remain out of reach.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
