In brief
At the ongoing COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, global leaders have openly criticized US President Donald Trump's climate change rhetoric, expressing concerns about the lack of political will to address climate issues. Key figures such as UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted a decline in political support for climate initiatives, while Brazilian President Lula pointed to 'extremist forces' that oppose climate action. Amidst the controversy, negotiators focus on securing funding for the protection of critical forest ecosystems.
US President Donald Trump has been criticized by world leaders for his stance on climate change, ahead of the global COP30 summit.
President Trump, who is not attending the meeting in the Amazonian city of Belém, was called a liar by the leaders of Colombia and Chile for his rejection of climate science.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the waning political support on climate change. He said it had been a unity issue internationally and in the UK but 'today sadly that consensus is gone'.
Over the next two weeks, countries will try and negotiate a new deal on climate change, with a particular focus on channeling more money to forest protection.
Many leaders from the world's largest nations – India, Russia, US, and China - are notably absent from this year's summit.
And while Trump isn't attending this meeting in Belém, his views on climate change are certainly on the minds of many of the other leaders present.
Speaking at the UN in September, the US president said that climate change was 'the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world'.
Without naming the US leader, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil warned on Thursday of 'extremist forces that fabricate fake news and are condemning future generations to life on a planet altered forever by global warming'.
The leaders of Chile and Colombia went further, calling the US president a liar, and asking other countries to ignore US efforts to move away from climate action.
Maisa Rojas, Chile's environment minister, told the BBC: 'The science is very clear. It is very important not to falsify the truth.'
Despite the criticisms, getting agreement on new steps to tackle warming is proving much harder. Only a few dozen leaders have turned up here in Belém, and a majority of countries have failed to submit new plans to cut carbon emissions.
In another development, the UK has opted out of a crucial $125bn fund aimed at supporting the world's rainforests, which has surprised Brazilian officials who expected robust participation from the UK.
As negotiations progress, leaders are urged to prioritize financial commitments to combat the pressing climate crisis.
