Brazil urging tougher emissions goals ahead of climate summit, sources say

By Manuela Andreoni and Lisandra Paraguassu

BRASILIA, April 23 (Reuters) - Brazil, which hosts this year's United Nations climate summit, has a main goal of persuading Europe, China and other developing economies to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions enough to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, three people with knowledge of the country's plans told Reuters.

The goal was presented on Wednesday, the sources said, when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gathered 17 leaders of large economies and small islands to a closed online meeting to talk about stronger commitments for their 2035 emission targets.

Brazilian diplomats are working closely with U.N. officials to encourage countries to file new emissions targets, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), by September. Most countries missed a February deadline.

According to the diplomats, the South American country wants to get large economies to be ambitious about emissions, especially China and the European Union, which have yet to present NDCs.

"The purpose of the meeting was precisely to make an appeal for these countries to present their NDCs, because most of them are late," Brazil's Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira told reporters, without detailing Brazil's plans.

The meeting brought together Chinese President Xi Jinping, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and leaders of small islands directly affected by climate change.

China at the meeting promised not to slow down in its commitments, Guterres told journalists.

"China has not only announced that they would produce their NDC, but President Xi said that those would cover all economic sectors and all greenhouse gases. It's the first time that China clarifies this point, and this is extremely important for climate action," said Guterres.

State news agency Xinhua reported that Xi promised to present China's new NDCs by COP30 in November.

'ENOUGH BROKEN PROMISES'

Brazilian ambassador and COP30 president Andre Correa do Lago was in Beijing last week, where he discussed national pledges with Chinese officials.

He said Brazil was encouraging countries to bring NDCs in line with the Paris Agreement.

This year's global climate summit, COP30, hosted in the Amazonian city of Belem in November, marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Accord, when signatories agreed to limit warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels.

Until now, though, nations have only committed to limiting warming to around 2.6 degrees Celsius, a catastrophic level that scientists believe could lead to the collapse of several natural systems that humans depend on.

"We want to make COP30 a major joint effort to implement climate commitments. The planet has had enough of broken promises", Lula told the meeting, according to a speech released by his office.

U.S. President Donald Trump pulled his country, the world's biggest economy, out of the Paris Agreement, so closing the gap would be difficult.

CHINA PUSH

Brazilian diplomats hope it will be possible with a more ambitious pledge from China, the world's biggest polluter, as well as other emerging economies and Europe. The U.S. was not invited to the meeting, according to a Brazilian diplomat.

Given China's importance to global climate talks, Brazil is putting added emphasis on the topic as president this year of the BRICS group, which includes China and other major developing economies.

Lula is set to meet Xi in person at least twice before the September deadline for new pledges, including at a June gathering of BRICS leaders in Brazil.

China has given no sign it plans to boost its target, and its economy has shown signs of flagging due to a punishing trade war with the U.S.

"The economic concerns that are constraining China's NDC are still there, if not exacerbated by Trump's tariffs," said Yao Zhe, global policy advisor with Greenpeace in Beijing.

China's Foreign Ministry did not comment specifically on the country's plans for its emissions target.

"Climate governance is currently facing headwinds. Only by strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation can we effectively address global issues," a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.