In a controversial move, tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest are being destroyed in Belém, Brazil, to construct a four-lane highway ahead of the UN COP30 climate summit in November.
The road, spanning more than 13 kilometers (8 miles), is intended to ease traffic congestion in the city, which will host over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders.
While the Pará state government is promoting the project’s “sustainability”, locals and conservationists have expressed outrage over its environmental impact, arguing that it undermines the very goal of the climate summit.
The Amazon rainforest, known for its critical role in absorbing carbon and supporting global biodiversity, is already seeing piles of logs along the partially constructed highway, named Avenida Liberdade.
Previously, the Pará state government had halted plans for the highway due to environmental concerns, but the project was revived as part of new infrastructure developments ahead of COP30.
