Ana Toni, Brazil’s climate secretary and chief executive of this year’s UN COP30 climate summit, has raised serious concerns about the potential global trade war’s impact on access to critical green technologies, warning that it could significantly hinder efforts to combat climate change. With Brazil set to host the pivotal environmental talks in November, Toni acknowledged the challenges ahead, citing “very difficult circumstances” due to geopolitical tensions and trade disputes.
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has aggressively pursued policies that many believe are detrimental to global climate action, including pulling the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement for a second time. Additionally, the prospect of tariffs being imposed under his administration has stoked fears of a global trade war, which Toni warns could have dire consequences for the global effort to curb carbon emissions.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Toni emphasized the importance of unimpeded trade in low-carbon technologies and products. “The trade war is a really big concern because some countries have technology for decarbonisation that other countries need,” she said. She further added, “We cannot slow down the process because of trade wars in terms of exchanging technologies, products and so on.” Research by the London School of Economics last year found that tariffs could make electric vehicles less affordable in the U.S., potentially reversing gains made in the transition to greener technologies.
Toni stressed that maintaining free trade in low-carbon products is crucial for the global decarbonization effort, noting, “Having fluid and free trade for specifically low carbon products is really important. Trade wars don’t help us. They really make our lives harder for the process that we need to face, which is global decarbonisation.” While some academic studies suggest that trade disputes and tariffs could increase emissions due to duplicated supply chains, they could also incentivize domestic manufacturing, which might reduce the demand for long-haul shipping, a major source of pollution.
Despite the U.S.’s withdrawal from international climate agreements, Toni pointed out that countries such as the UK, Europe, and China remain committed to a multilateral approach to climate action. “We have to have a successful COP despite the geopolitical turmoil,” Toni remarked, stressing that climate change is an urgent issue that cannot wait for political landscapes to change.
This year’s COP30, which will be held in the Amazonian city of Belém, marks a significant moment as it will be the first summit since global temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for a calendar year. While this does not technically breach the Paris Agreement’s long-term temperature goal, scientists have warned that the acceleration of climate change is happening faster than expected, with last year’s record-breaking temperatures signaling the urgency of immediate action.
Brazil’s leadership of COP30 has faced scrutiny in recent months, particularly following its decision to continue exploring for oil and its membership in the OPEC+ oil group. Toni defended these actions, suggesting that Brazil’s participation in OPEC+ could foster critical dialogue on reducing the global dependence on fossil fuels. Furthermore, she addressed concerns about deforestation caused by the construction of a road through the forests in Belém, clarifying that the road was not being built specifically for the summit but was needed for the city’s infrastructure. “No one is proud to deforest even one tree, but sometimes it is needed,” she said.
