The holding of COP30 in Brazil has been welcomed by activists. The venue will be a welcome change from the authoritarian, oil loving hosts of the last 3 years. The government of Lula da Silva is making progress on reducing the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Why then is Brazil planning to drill for oil in the very same Amazon forest, in an area of extreme environmental sensitivity?

No surprise

The announcement of the plan to drill is no real surprise. Even before the Workers’ Party won the election in 2022, it said that it would increase oil exploration. Brazil has long been a producer of oil, and has recently seen a significant level of oil exports which have boosted the growth of the economy.

The choice of Belém as the host city for COP30 was symbolic. Belém is the gateway to the Amazon, and its selection underlined the government’s work in slowing the destruction of the forest. President Lula da Silva is widely regarded as a progressive politician, who has expressed support for action on the climate.

Liberal policies

Early in his political career, Lula expressed support for several radical policies. But when in office, his government was essentially a liberal one with some social reforms. Even if the government made fighting climate change a priority, it is constrained by its capitalist economy. And like in many other countries, the Brazilian economy is struggling at the moment. Inflation is rising, and growth is declining. Lula is depending on revenues from exporting oil and gas to help the economy.

The ending of drilling for oil and gas is critical in the fight against climate change. Brazil plans even more drilling than the previous fossil fuel loving COP countries, Egypt, UAE and Azerbaijan. Climate campaigners must not shy away from highlighting Brazil’s damaging fossil fuel plans.

But the point about COP meetings is that they are global. Global solutions are needed, and COP30 provides a global audience. The most forceful ecosocialist demands are necessarily global in nature.