Oct. 20 (UPI) -- One month before the U.N. climate summit in Belém, Brazil, organizers face a serious accommodation shortage. The Amazonian city, which will temporarily serve as the nation's capital during the event, lacks enough rooms for the thousands of visitors expected, threatening the participation of many delegations.
Amid a COP30 already marked by tensions over climate financing and carbon-reduction commitments, a new complication has emerged: hotel prices have soared, forcing Brazil's government to organize cruise ships and makeshift lodging to meet demand.
The situation risks making COP30 one of the least inclusive in history, as many groups -- including small nations, civil society organizations and media outlets -- may lack the means to participate in one of the year's most important climate meetings.
The 30th Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30, is to will bring together nearly 200 countries and dozens of organizations to negotiate actions to address the climate crisis.
The summit will take place in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon from Nov. 10 to 21, and aims to set new emission-reduction and climate-finance commitments through 2035 under the Paris Agreement.
