Jakarta — Over 250 scientists from 27 countries have delivered an open letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday, June 18, urging him to make a full, fair, and fast phaseout of fossil fuels the central priority of the upcoming COP30 climate summit in Belém.
The letter, submitted during the Bonn Climate Conference — a key preparatory meeting ahead of COP30 — underscores what decades of research have shown: continued fossil fuel combustion is the primary driver of the climate crisis. “Only a realistic and urgent energy transition can protect development, fight hunger, and reduce inequality,” the scientists wrote.
Renowned climate experts Dr. Paulo Artaxo of the University of São Paulo and Dr. Friederike Otto of Imperial College London led the letter, which was handed over in person to COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago by Bill Hare, a climate physicist and CEO of Climate Analytics.
The petition comes at a critical moment, just months before world leaders gather in Brazil to mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement. Scientists warn that the global carbon budget for limiting warming to 1.5ºC could be exhausted in just six years unless drastic emissions cuts are made. According to the latest IPCC and IPBES reports cited in the letter, even existing fossil fuel infrastructure is enough to push warming past this threshold.
“The science is very clear that we must take strong action to stop the advance of climate change, and the main action is to end the exploration and use of fossil fuels,” said Artaxo. “That’s why we decided to write this letter — as a form of support to President Lula so that he can count on the strength of science to help convince other global leaders”.
The plea comes as concern grows over Brazil’s domestic policies. Hare noted that Brazil opened a “doomsday” oil and gas auction in the Amazon basin just days before the letter’s submission. “There could be no clearer warning that the Amazon rainforest is perilously close to crossing a tipping point,” he said.
Despite these concerns, the scientists acknowledged Brazil’s leadership in renewable energy — nearly 90% of its electricity comes from clean sources — and called on Lula to build on this foundation. With its rich biodiversity and upcoming COP30 presidency, Brazil is uniquely positioned to steer the world toward a just, science-based energy transition, they argued.
“With only a few months before COP30, we respectfully call on you to make the transition away from fossil fuels a top priority for COP30, leading a global conversation and negotiations to consolidate next steps for this transition, and providing the clarity and hope humanity needs to build a safer and more prosperous future,” the letter reads. “History will remember this moment when leaders will either decide to do what is scientifically and morally right, or if they keep the status-quo”.
The full letter and list of signatories are available here. (nsh)
Banner photo: June 18, 2025. Lara Murillo/UN Climate Change
