Brazil offers free cruise cabins as poorer nations struggle for rooms at COP30

BRASILIA: Dozens of countries have yet to secure accommodation for their delegations at the COP30 climate summit, just a week before it opens, with host Brazil offering free cabins on cruise ships to poorer nations in a last-minute bid to ensure they can attend.

Around 50,000 delegates are expected in the rainforest city of Belem, where nearly every government will convene from Nov 10 to Nov 21 to negotiate climate goals. 

But logistical concerns have plagued preparations: Belem usually has only 18,000 hotel beds, sending nightly rates soaring to several hundred dollars.

As of Oct 31, 149 countries had confirmed lodging, while 37 were still negotiating, the Brazilian government said.

BRAZIL PLEDGES EVERYONE WILL HAVE A SAY

Brazil has vowed to ensure the world’s poorest and most climate-vulnerable nations have their voices heard at the United Nations summit. 

Soaring accommodation costs had already led the UN to hold emergency meetings in response to African countries and small island nations’ warnings that they could not afford to attend – even after Brazil and the UN subsidised hotel costs.

A leaked email seen by Reuters showed that Brazil last week offered three free cabins aboard cruise ships moored in Belem to delegations from low-income nations.

The email, sent by the UN climate secretariat (UNFCCC), said the cabins would be financed through “private donors” and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and coordinated by Brazil’s government in partnership with the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

“These cabins will be offered free of cost to your delegation,” the email said, adding that they were supplementary to existing bookings.