COP30: Are climate talks effective at fighting climate change

(Photo by Dado Galdeiri/Bloomberg via Getty Images) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Download a free worksheet ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The story Two weeks of international climate talks began this week in Belém in Brazil. COP is an annual gathering of politicians and negotiators from around the world to discuss climate change and make agreements to help deal with the problem.  Some important people have decided not to attend, such as US President Donald Trump. Some experts think that because some powerful leaders aren’t attending the talks, they won’t make any progress, although others believe the negotiations are still very important for fighting climate change. In a speech on the first day of the talks, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned about the dangers of fake news and climate deniers, people who incorrectly argue that human-caused climate change is not real. News headlines Who are the major players at Cop30 and what do they want? The Guardian COP30: Trump and many leaders are skipping it, so does the summit still have a point? BBC News Muted global business turnout at COP30 reflects subdued mood The Financial Times Key words and phrases major player important person or organisation within a particular situation point purpose or meaning muted not very enthusiastic or excited Next  Find all our news programmes. Learn more about the environment in English with this topic page.  Practise your reading skills with The Reading Room.