Both Latvia and Lithuania are considering staying away from the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November. The reason is that rising hotel prices make it too expensive to attend. This is reported by Reuters.
- We have basically already made a decision that it is too expensive for us, says Latvia's climate minister, Kaspars Melnis, to the news agency.
The minister says that the country has therefore asked if Latvia's negotiators can join via video call.
- It is the first time that it is so expensive. We have a responsibility to our country's budget, says the minister.
Lithuania is also considering staying away, after being informed of prices of over $500 per person per night, writes Reuters. This corresponds to around 3190 Danish kroner.
However, a spokesperson for the country's energy ministry stressed to the news agency that the legitimacy and quality of the negotiations would suffer if some governments were unable to attend due to the cost of accommodation.
The UN has also urged its staff to limit their participation in the climate summit due to high hotel prices, writes The Guardian.
And the UN is far from the only one cutting back on the number of participants. According to Le Monde, many countries risk having to reduce the size of their delegations. Last month, the newspaper described how China's delegation might be halved, while the Austrian president has decided not to attend. France's team of around 50 negotiators will remain, however.
Many point to developing countries and NGOs as some of the biggest losers in the battle for hotel rooms - often countries that are among those experiencing climate change most clearly.
The chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States, Ilana Seid, points out to Reuters that the situation puts their members in a very bad position. Many of the island states are using the climate summit to secure more financial support to protect the islands against climate change.
Hamid Abakar Souleymane, chief negotiator from Chad, also emphasizes to The Washington Post that the country cannot afford the summit.
- If nothing is done, I, as the delegation's chief negotiator, will not participate, he tells the media.
According to Reuters, around 45,000 people are expected to attend the summit, while the host city of Belem typically has a hotel capacity of 18,000 beds. The city was chosen because of its location close to the rainforest.
/ritzau/
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