Facilties Flop At Climate Confab; Stifling Heat & Humidity Indoors, Leaking Roofs, Broken Toilets, Oppressive Noise

BELÉM, Brazil—The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change asked the host government to address complaints about stifling indoor conditions, leaky roofs and non-working restrooms at COP30. It also raised concerns about security at the climate talks after demonstrators entered the negotiation area without the required credentials. “The Secretariat has received multiple reports of extremely high temperatures in several areas of the venue, including meeting rooms, offices, pavilions, and workspaces,” UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell wrote in a letter last week to COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago and Rui Costa dos Santos, the chief of staff for Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Stiell wrote that there have already been several instances of heat-related health concerns among participants and staff, and that “immediate intervention is urgently required to safeguard the well-being of delegates and personnel, and to maintain essential conference operations.” Recent research shows that Brazil is suffering from more frequent, intense and lethal heatwaves linked to global warming. A 2025 study from Brazil shows that “heat exposure has been linked to rising rates of violence,” including increases in homicides. Daily high temperatures in Belém have been around 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the conference, with relative humidity around 80 percent and near-daily rainstorms.

The letter also notes that several delegations have expressed “serious concern regarding the poor condition of the delegation offices provided.” The conditions are below the standards required by the UNFCCC and some facilities, including toilets, “are not fit for use.” In response, the operators of the venue, consisting primarily of inflatable tents on an old airport runway, cranked up the air conditioning as high as possible, resulting in strong indoor winds and very high noise levels in some areas, making face-to-face conversation difficult. That is a challenge for a conference designed for in-person discussions.

Emerging public health research suggests that poor indoor environmental conditions can reduce cognitive function and cause other impairments. Heat, combined with materials used to build temporary venues, including glue or solvents, can also trigger the release of volatile chemicals known to harm human health. When combined, those factors can significantly affect complex negotiations and decision-making, said Kerry Kinney, a professor of environmental engineering at the University of Texas at Austin who studies how indoor environments affect human health and performance.

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18112025/cop30-extreme-heat-leaks-security-issues/