Wednesday, November 19:

COP30 Activism Heats Up As Conference Nears Close

9:30 AM BRT: “No Oil Drilling in the Amazon.” During COP30 Activists Deliver Petition Under Giant Earth Globe, Urging Lula and IBAMA to Halt Petrobras’ Climate-Wrecking Plans

4:00 PM BRT: Global Activists Call On Delegates to Make Polluters Pay, Deliver COP Roadmaps, with giant helium balloon and falling “polluter money”

On the ground contact: Alix Vanwaetermeulen, +4369010214921 

For interview requests: Denise Robbins, denise@glasgowactions.com, +1 608-320-6582 (WhatsApp, Signal)

Belém, Brazil — On Wednesday, November 19, two important actions will take place at COP30 hosted by civil society groups from around the world.

In the morning, campaigners from Ekō and the Glasgow Actions Team will gather beneath the large Earth globe installation in Zone C of the Blue Zone for a high-visibility action demanding that President Lula reverse IBAMA’s recent approval of Petrobras exploratory drilling at the mouth of the Amazon River, and halt all new fossil fuel extraction in ecologically fragile areas. A recent Datafolha poll commissioned by Ekō shows 61% of Brazilians oppose drilling in sensitive biomes.

Timed for 9:30 AM, as COP30 discussions intensify, activists will unfurl a striking massive banner, hoisted on retractable poles and suspended directly beneath the globe, sending a clear message: “No Oil Drilling in the Amazon.” Campaigners will deliver an Ekō petition with approximately 60,000 signatures urging IBAMA to reject Petrobras’ application and deny future licenses for commercial production.  In light of the recent decision, Ekō is calling on Lula to halt all new fossil fuel expansion in the Amazon and other sensitive biomes and channel true leadership by demonstrating at COP30 that Brazil's climate commitments are more than rhetoric.  

9:30 AM: Petition Delivery to Stop Oil Drilling in the Amazon

What: Photo call under the giant Earth globe featuring a large suspended banner and petition delivery calling on Lula and IBAMA to stop Petrobras drilling at the mouth of the Amazon.

When: Wednesday, November 19, 9:30 AM BRT

Where: Under the large Earth globe installation, Zone C of the Blue Zone 

Visuals:

• A 2.5 × 1.5 m net banner reading “No Oil Drilling in the Amazon,” hoisted just beneath the Earth globe

• Activists with signs calling for climate protection and Indigenous rights

• Strong press and social video opportunities beneath a prominent installation

"Lula is putting homes, waters and the survival of our planet at risk. An oil spill at the mouth of the Amazon would be a catastrophe, destroying fisheries, polluting the coastline and devastating Indigenous livelihoods,” said Rosa Volmer, Campaign Manager at Ekō. “Lula can't claim the mantle of global climate leadership and open up the Amazon to reckless oil companies."

Then at 4:00 PM, campaigners from the Glasgow Actions Team and allied civil society will arrive in the Blue Zone for a high-impact visual action demanding that polluters pay their climate debt—and that COP negotiations move from roadmaps to real money.

The action will feature a massive helium balloon emblazoned with the message “MAKE POLLUTERS PAY”, accompanied by bursts of fake currency notes symbolizing the climate finance urgently needed but still missing from negotiations, drawing attention to the widening gap between ambition and resources.

4:00 PM: “Make Polluters Pay” Helium Balloon and Money

What: Blue Zone visual action calling for climate finance and corporate accountability, featuring a giant helium balloon reading “MAKE POLLUTERS PAY” and the release of symbolic fake money to highlight the funding shortfall behind COP’s emerging transition roadmaps.

When: 4:00 PM BRT, Wednesday, 19 November

Where: COP Blue Zone — exact location TBA.

Visuals:

• Giant helium balloon with “MAKE POLLUTERS PAY” visible from across the venue

• Fake currency notes released into the air, representing missing climate finance

• Dancing, singing, and throwing ‘make polluters pay’ money 

Across the conference, momentum is building around a set of roadmaps or “schedules” — inspired by Lula’s opening speech and explored by roughly 40 countries at a recent BOGA (Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance) meeting — that would guide countries toward fossil fuel phaseout, forest protection, and accelerated implementation of NDCs. While promising, these proposals are not yet part of formal negotiations and remain unfunded.

As campaigner Jamie Henn put it: “Even if we have roadmaps, we need the money for the bus ticket. COP30 plans still need funding, and polluters should pay to close the gap.”

About the Glasgow Actions Team:

Formed ahead of COP26, GAT pushes the world’s climate champions to go farther, calling out the blockers and exposing the deniers. Learn more at www.glasgowactions.com