Amazon rainforest trees cut down to build road for COP30 climate summit

• Trees in the Amazon rainforest are being cut down to build a road for U.N COP 30 summit. The highway aims to ease traffic for over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders.
• Conservationists and locals fear the road will fragment ecosystems, disrupt wildlife migration and increase deforestation, while supporters argue it will boost the economy in a neglected region.
• Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says the climate conference this highway is being built for will provide an opportunity to showcase the rainforest’s needs to the world.

Trees in the Amazon rainforest are being cut down to construct a new road for an upcoming United Nations climate change conference. The project aims to ease traffic congestion as Brazil prepares to host more than 50,000 attendees, including world leaders, in the city of Belém for the annual COP30 summit in November.

What impact will the road have on the rainforest?

Officials have dubbed the new four-lane highway the Avenida Liberdade. The road cuts through tens of thousands of acres of protected rainforest. This development had been previously proposed as early as 2012. However, officials repeatedly shelved the project due to environmental concerns.

Regional government officials are attempting to ease these environmental fears. They claim the road will be “sustainable,” featuring wildlife crossings, bike lanes and solar lighting. However, its construction is sparking controversy among conservationists and nearby residents…