Amazon Rainforest Cut Down to Build a Four Lane Road For a Climate Summit

A new highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built to accommodate attendees at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, according to a new report from the BBC. The move has sparked outrage from conservationists and locals who see it as a contradiction to the summit’s purpose.

Key Facts:

A four-lane highway is being built through protected Amazon rainforest for the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
The summit, scheduled for November, will host over 50,000 attendees, including world leaders.
Local residents, like açaí harvester Claudio Verequete, have lost their livelihoods due to the deforestation.
The road cuts through a protected area, threatening biodiversity and fragmenting ecosystems.
The state government calls it a “sustainable highway,” but critics say it undermines the event’s environmental mission.

The Rest of The Story:

The new highway, called Avenida Liberdade, has been on hold for years due to environmental concerns but was revived as part of a the effort to prepare Belém for the COP30 summit.

The Brazilian government claims the summit will highlight Amazonian conservation efforts, yet its infrastructure projects are accelerating deforestation in the region.

Locals affected by the construction have received no compensation, and many worry that the road will open the area to further exploitation by businesses.

Scientists warn that the highway will disrupt wildlife and isolate forested areas, making it harder for species to survive.

Despite the backlash, the state government insists the project is essential for mobility and modernization.

Amazon forest felled to build road for climate summit https://t.co/eYUXNIPpno

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 12, 2025

Commentary:

Only environmentalists could argue that destroying the rainforest is necessary to host a conference about saving the rainforest.

This absurdity would be laughable if it weren’t real.

They’re paving over protected land and displacing locals—all so politicians and activists can gather and lecture the world about sustainability.

This is the kind of insanity you’d expect from a satire site like The Babylon Bee, but it’s happening in real life.

Governments obsessed with “climate action” never seem to follow their own rules.

Ok, located an article from last year about the "Avenida Liberdade."

Clearly, if you can't get your highway project built because of your own side's eco-insanity, the solution is to schedule a major international eco-event there, so you can push it thru. https://t.co/UENzXDVTDX pic.twitter.com/pOUO8vshgc

— CowLivesMatter (@ProtesterLone) March 12, 2025

Instead, they bulldoze forests in the name of sustainability while expecting ordinary people to cut back on energy use, meat consumption, and travel.

The real goal isn’t saving the planet—it’s consolidating power.

Climate summits like COP30 are more about political theater and global influence than genuine conservation.

If world leaders truly cared about the Amazon, they wouldn’t destroy it just to make their event more convenient.

The Bottom Line:

The Brazilian government is tearing down parts of the Amazon to build a highway for a climate summit, contradicting the very message of the event.

While officials claim it will help modernize the region, locals are left without compensation, and scientists warn of irreversible damage.

This is yet another example of environmental hypocrisy at its worst.