With just a few months to go before COP30, Brazil has unveiled its official accommodation plan to host thousands of delegates, observers, and journalists in Belém — the capital of Pará and the first city in the Amazon region to host a United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The plan includes a centralized online booking platform — expected to go live soon — that will consolidate verified lodging options across the Belém metropolitan region. It also introduces a priority reservation system for 98 lower-income countries, part of Brazil’s commitment to ensuring “accommodation for all countries,” according to the official COP30 website.
Given Belém’s limited hotel infrastructure — with an estimated 12,000 beds — the Brazilian government has announced the use of two docked cruise ships, which will offer 6,000 additional beds. Lodging options in neighboring municipalities such as Ananindeua and Marituba will also be integrated to expand capacity.
But even before the platform goes live, controversy is mounting. As reported by the Associated Press, hotel and rental prices have soared, with some accommodations listed at $15,000 per night.
“The rich and powerful — as well as poorer nations, activists and media — are already feeling a bit of that discomfort even before getting to Belém,” the AP noted.
André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s designated COP30 president, acknowledged the issue, stating that “prices are already going down,” though Brazilian media have reported otherwise. In response, the government announced that Belém will observe a local holiday during the summit, encouraging residents to rent out their homes — a move expected to generate “a significant supply of apartments,” according to do Lago.
“Belém is not an obvious choice,” said André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s designated COP30 president and career diplomat, in an interview with the AP. “We want to show that there are large cities in the Amazon that are part of the solution to the climate crisis.”
The article highlights visible shortcomings in the host city’s urban conditions: cracked sidewalks, poor sanitation, and unreliable digital infrastructure. But those shortcomings, Brazilian authorities argue, reflect exactly why Belém matters in the global climate debate. The Amazon is not just a forest — it’s home to millions who live amid profound inequality and environmental vulnerability.
COP30 is expected to be a pivotal moment in the global climate agenda. Countries will be required to update their national commitments, and Brazil intends to use this opportunity to push for a model of development that includes — rather than excludes — the forest and its people.
Hosting COP30 in Belém sends a powerful message: addressing climate change must also mean investing in infrastructure, opportunity, and dignity for those living in the world’s most vulnerable regions.
