The key facts

  • Lula spoke at the opening of the COP31 leaders' summit in Antalya
  • According to him, the topic of climate 'has turned into silence' at G7 and G20 forums
  • He warned that wars and inflation hinder governments' ability to counter climate threats

Speech at the opening of the leaders' summit

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke on Wednesday at the opening of the leaders' summit of the COP31 climate conference, taking place in Antalya in southern Turkey. He warned that preserving the global environment must not remain subordinate to geopolitical rivalry, since the escalation of conflicts and inflation threaten international climate efforts.

'The topic of climate has turned into silence'

Lula said that climate change has disappeared from the speeches and documents of world leaders at G7 and G20 meetings — forums uniting the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. 'This concern has turned into silence,' he said. The president criticized the shift of global priorities toward armed conflicts: 'We have come to talk more about weapons and tariffs than about the survival of future generations.'

Decline after COP30 and a warning

Lula noted with regret that the global momentum has declined since COP30 in Belem, Brazil, where indigenous peoples and forest defenders achieved historically broad public participation. According to him, some countries increasingly view the transition to clean energy as 'an obstacle to the security and prosperity of nations.' He warned that the pressure of wars and inflation makes it difficult for governments to counter looming climate catastrophes, yet 'the planet cannot be at the mercy of hegemonic struggles.'