The Austrian president will not attend COP30 because he considers the trip too expensive.

Vienna, Aug 4 (EFE).- Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen will not attend the upcoming Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, considering the cost of the trip too high, higher than in previous editions of the event he always attended.

This was reported on Monday by Austrian public television ORF, citing sources from the Austrian Presidency and, at the same time, environmental organizations that criticize the high financial and environmental costs of hosting the COP in the northern Brazilian city, located at the mouth of the Amazon River and considered the main entry point to the Amazon.

"The particularly high costs of the President's participation in this year's COP (…) are not within the Presidency's tight budget framework for logistical reasons," the presidential office told the broadcaster.

"The main reason is budget consolidation, which requires budget cuts and discipline on the part of all public agencies," he added.

With a deficit of more than 4% of gross domestic product (GDP), Austria faces a European Union (EU) case this year for excessive deficits while implementing an austerity package with severe measures to restore budgetary discipline.

Van der Bellen stated that he made the decision not to attend Belém "after careful consideration" and wished the Brazilian presidency of the conference "all the best for a successful COP in a particularly challenging global context."

The Austrian delegation will be led by Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig, who, according to his ministry's statement to ORF, said it is "more important than ever to send a clear signal of international cooperation on climate protection."

Belém, with a population of 1.5 million and a hotel capacity of around 25,000 beds, is expected to welcome 50,000 participants from nearly 200 countries, including numerous heads of state and government, as well as representatives of NGOs and activists.

The Brazilian government has launched a plan to address the bed shortage, which includes building and refurbishing hotels, adapting schools, and establishing agreements with short-term accommodation platforms such as Airbnb, as well as utilizing cruise ships docked at a port near the city.

However, the hotel shortage has driven up the cost of accommodations to disproportionate prices, a problem that Brasilia has acknowledged and attributed to speculation. It also acknowledges concerns about the northern city's limited airport capacity.

Austrian media today echoed criticism from several environmental organizations regarding a four-lane highway Brazil is building through the Amazon rainforest, and the growing number of calls to move the conference to another city.

On social media, the international NGO Amazon Watch has highlighted the protest against the conference held last Wednesday by representatives of Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and social movements from across the Amazon in front of the COP30 construction site in Belém.

"They demand climate justice, land rights, and an end to fossil fuels," the organization said the same day.

Despite criticism, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has insisted on his commitment to Belém, the first time a city located in a tropical rainforest will host the planet's largest climate event.