COP30: Van der Bellen Does Not Travel to Climate Conference Due to High Costs

"The main reason for this is budget consolidation, which requires cuts and budget discipline from all public bodies," said a statement from the Presidential Chancellery regarding Federal President Van der Bellen's decision against a trip to the Climate Conference COP30 in Belem.

COP30: Reports of Exorbitant Accommodation Costs at Climate Conference

"The particularly high costs for logistical reasons for the Federal President's participation in this year's COP, in addition to the Austrian negotiators' delegation, are not within the tight budgetary framework of the Presidential Chancellery," the statement continued. The Federal President did not make the decision lightly and made it "after careful consideration." Van der Bellen nevertheless wished the Brazilian chair "all the best for a successful COP in a particularly challenging global context."

The "Financial Times" reported on Friday, among other things, about exorbitant accommodation costs, with prices up to 2,000 dollars (1,753.77 euros) per night. The designated COP30 President André Aranha Corrêa do Lago was quoted as saying that the prices for private rooms are "absolutely absurd." Cruise ships are also to serve as accommodation options for the tens of thousands of conference participants. Calls to move COP30 to larger cities like Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo have so far gone unheard. There are also major concerns about the airport capacity in Belem.

There is also criticism from environmentalists because Brazil is building a four-lane highway specifically for the climate summit, not only in the city itself but also through the Amazon rainforest. Speaking of environmentalists: According to ORF's "ZiB2," Global 2000 will also not be at the COP this year.

(APA/Red)

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