Watch: COP30 Goes Silent As President Gets Emotional Remembering Chico Mendes & Hailing Marina Silva

COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago grew emotional during the final moments of the climate summit, paying tribute to Brazil’s Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva. In an unexpected and heartfelt tribute, he recalled the legacy of Chico Mendes, the Amazon defender assassinated in 1988, noting Silva’s lifelong connection to his work. “What a country,” he said, prompting applause. The closing ceremony followed Brazil’s push for a compromise climate deal that increases funding for vulnerable nations facing climate impacts, although it stops short of naming fossil fuels as the cause. With the U.S. absent, Brazil aimed to show unity in global climate action.