Brazil Rejects Hotel Subsidy Plan Ahead of UN Climate Summit

Brazil's government has firmly dismissed the prospect of subsidizing hotel accommodations for delegates at the upcoming United Nations climate summit, COP30, scheduled in the Amazonian city of Belém this November. The decision came following a tense deliberation with U.N. officials at a recent meeting.

The struggle to secure affordable accommodations has become increasingly chaotic, with delegates expressing concern over soaring hotel rates in the host city. In an attempt to alleviate the accommodation crunch, Brazil plans to nearly double available hotel beds and has encouraged creative solutions, such as repurposing love motels and ferryboats into makeshift lodging. Despite these efforts, supply lags behind demand, prompting some delegations to propose relocating the conference, an idea Brazil has refused.

Miriam Belchior, executive secretary to the President's chief of staff, has flatly opposed providing a hotel subsidy requested by the UNFCCC. She emphasized that Brazil is already incurring significant costs to host the event and suggested that the U.N. should instead increase its daily allowance for delegates from poorer countries. With hotel rates in Belém far exceeding these allowances, the U.N. has so far resisted making adjustments pending the usual approval process.

(With inputs from agencies.)