Name: Did Brazil chop down 100,000 trees for COP30?
Uploaded: 2025-11-17T17:17:58.391Z
Duration: 2 min
Description: As European leaders take part in COP30, claims that the controversial Avenida Liberdade — a four-lane 13km highway which cuts across the Amazon — was constructed specifically for the climate summit have spread online.

As European leaders take part in COP30, claims that the controversial Avenida Liberdade — a four-lane 13km highway which cuts across the Amazon — was constructed specifically for the climate summit have spread online.

Belém

Recent social media posts have accused the Brazilian government of cutting down 100,000 trees to build a motorway for COP30 in Belém. However, the Avenida Liberdade highway project began in 2012, over a decade before Brazil was selected to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and is not one of the official COP30 infrastructure projects. 

Local authorities have stated that the road's construction was accelerated in preparation for COP30, but it remains incomplete and is expected to finish by early 2026. The project has drawn criticism from indigenous communities over consultation issues, and the state of Pará continues to lead Brazil in annual deforestation, mainly due to agribusiness expansion.

Did Brazil chop down 100,000 trees for COP30?

Did Brazil chop down 100,000 ambers and trees for COP30? European leaders are travelling to COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, in the Brazilian city of Belém. While the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has weakened collective momentum, the EU remains the world's largest contributor to climate finance. However, COP is regularly marred with accusations of hypocrisy. This time round, online users have accused the Brazilian government of chopping down 100,000 trees in order to build a four-lane motorway and host COP30 leaders. US President Donald Trump claimed that Brazil's rainforest was ripped apart for environmentalists to travel. Although this story has resurfaced, in fact, it's old news. The controversial project for a four-lane, 13-kilometre highway, named the Avenida Liberdade, crossing the Amazon, has been in the works since 2012, following repeated setbacks. Now, that's 11 years before the official announcement that Brazil would host the UN's climate conference, in 2023. In a BBC article from March, the state government's infrastructure secretary said the road was one of 30 projects the city was undertaking to prepare and modernise it, to have a legacy for the population and, more importantly, serve people for COP30 in the best possible way. Statements from local leaders suggest the construction of the road was accelerated ahead of COP, but COP organisers responded by stating that construction of the road did not fall under the responsibility of the federal government, or the 33 infrastructure projects planned for COP30. As for claims that the road was constructed to transport environmentalists, it's not actually been completed, with local authorities stating that they aim to finish it by early 2026. The project, however, remains controversial, impacting the local indigenous community, who denounce a lack of adequate consultation. The state of Pará has the highest national record for deforestation every year since 2016, largely driven by agribusiness opening new pastureland. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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