Leaders and delegates from more than 190 countries gathered in the Amazon city of Belém, Brazil, Monday for the opening of the U.N. climate summit, marking the 30th year nations are gathering to address the climate crisis. The United States, the world’s biggest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, boycotted the climate talks this year. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned against attacks on science and the interests of “denialists” and lobbyists attempting to derail climate negotiations.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva: “It’s time to inflict another defeat on the deniers. Without the Paris Agreement, the world would be doomed to catastrophic warming of almost 5 degrees by the end of the century. We are moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed.”