President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to Belém on Wednesday (19) to boost the final COP30 negotiations, expressing optimism about convincing Donald Trump of the climate crisis's seriousness. He defended first lady Janja's role and celebrated Germany's announcement of a 1 billion euro investment in the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF). While progress like this pledge raises the total to US$ 6.7 billion, negotiations face stalemates on issues like fossil fuels and gender.
The COP30 in Belém (PA) entered its decisive phase with Lula's arrival on the morning of November 19, 2025. The president met with representatives from African, Arab, Latin American countries, China, India, Germany, the European Union, small island states, as well as indigenous leaders and scientists. No controversial agreements on resource transfers, emission targets, or phasing out fossil fuels were announced, but Environment Minister Marina Silva disclosed Germany's 1 billion euro pledge to the TFFF, raising the fund to US$ 6.7 billion with contributions from Norway (US$ 3 billion), France (€ 500 million), Brazil and Indonesia (US$ 1 billion each).
In a press conference, Lula stated: “I am so happy that one day I will convince the president of the United States that the climate issue is serious and that green development is necessary”. He also dreamed of ending the Russia-Ukraine war, expressing confidence in Brazilian negotiators for “the best result any COP can offer to planet Earth”.
Lula defended Janja, saying he did not know “how many times a first lady has worked so much in a COP” and that “women are not second-class citizens”. The TFFF, a Brazilian initiative, invests resources in financial markets to reward tropical forest preservers, aiming for US$ 25 billion public and US$ 100 billion private funds.
The event gained tension from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's statements preferring Berlin to Belém, calling Brazil a negative reference. Lula retorted: “He should have gone to a bar in Pará [...] because Berlin does not offer 10% of the quality that the state of Pará offers”. Despite optimism, the French delegation criticized the draft text for lacking ambition on emission mitigation and fossil fuel phase-out, while a conservative bloc including Argentina and Iran stalls gender debates to exclude trans people.
