Accommodation Costs At COP30 In Belém Soar, Threatening Participation Of Small And Marginalised Nations

This year’s UN climate summit, COP30, to be held in Belém, a city in Brazil’s Amazon region, is shaping up to be one of the most expensive COPs ever for participants, especially due to skyrocketing accommodation prices.

Scheduled for November 10–16, the summit is expected to draw over 50,000 delegates from around the world. However, the limited lodging infrastructure in Belém — a relatively small city of 1.3 million — has triggered a surge in prices for hotels, Airbnb rentals, and other forms of accommodation, raising serious concerns among poorer and developing countries.

Rates for a three-star hotel on Booking.com have been seen crossing $5,000 per person for the summit’s first week. Airbnb listings are also soaring, with some properties exceeding $430 per night. These astronomical rates have led to fears that many smaller delegations from African, Pacific, and other vulnerable nations might not be able to afford to attend.

Two years ago, at COP27 in Egypt, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that Belém would host COP30, placing the Amazon rainforest — vital to global climate stability — at the heart of international climate discussions.

Since then, Brazil has been racing to prepare Belém’s infrastructure to handle the influx. In response to the growing accommodation crisis, organizers have pledged to provide 24,000 additional beds, including 7,300 in public schools and military barracks. A newly constructed “COP30 Village” will house 400 suites for heads of state and dignitaries, designed to reduce logistical pressure during the opening phase of the summit.

Despite these efforts, the concern remains acute. Delegates from several countries have formally raised the issue with Brazil. Letters from African and Pacific nation negotiators cite the “astronomical costs” of staying in Belém during the event. The Brazilian government has offered a partial solution by providing 3,900 rooms on two cruise ships, docked roughly 30 minutes away from the summit venue, at a subsidized rate of $220 per night for 98 small developing and island nations.

However, representatives from the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) say more must be done. Ilana Seid, AOSIS Chair, stated: “Our delegations are already grappling with long-haul travel and limited budgets. Despite repeated appeals, we have yet to receive firm and workable solutions to manage the prohibitive accommodation costs in Belém.”

As the countdown to COP30 continues, the challenge of accessibility and equity in global climate diplomacy has once again come to the fore — with calls growing louder for organizers to ensure that all voices, especially from vulnerable nations, are represented in shaping the planet’s climate future.

The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy