COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil Sees Muted Business Attendance

As of November 10th, 2025, the upcoming UN COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil is expected to see a much narrower business attendance compared to past years. The event is anticipated to be dominated by large Brazilian groups and multinational companies with operations in Latin America, rather than a strong presence of top overseas executives.

This muted turnout is attributed to both the logistical challenges of the Belém location, situated at the gateway to the Amazon, as well as the political pressure on climate action since the election of former US President Donald Trump in 2016. Many international companies are sending their chief sustainability officers or regional heads to the pre-COP events in São Paulo, rather than their chief executives.

However, the discussions at these business conferences have shifted focus. While sustainability remains a key concern, energy security and affordability have now become top priorities for the corporate attendees. Despite the fracturing of the global climate action consensus, the atmosphere at the events is reported to be positive, with improved engagement between the public and private sectors.

Businesses are pushing ahead with their climate-related plans, albeit with less fanfare than before. The data suggests the real economy is accelerating towards clean energy, even as governments struggle to keep up with the pace of change.