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On Tuesday, Brazil’s government officially approved joining OPEC+, a coalition of the world’s major oil-exporting nations, marking the country's growing influence as an oil-producing state. This decision comes just nine months before Brazil is set to host the United Nations’ COP30 climate summit, raising concerns over the nation’s environmental commitments.

The National Council for Energy Policy endorsed Brazil’s entry following an official invitation in 2023. OPEC+ consists of 12 OPEC members—a group historically responsible for coordinating oil production to stabilize global markets—alongside 10 additional major oil-producing nations, with Russia being the most prominent among them.

Despite aligning with OPEC+, Brazil will not be bound by production quotas or mandatory cuts, according to Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira. Speaking at a press conference, Silveira described OPEC+ as simply “a forum for discussing strategies among oil-producing countries.” He defended Brazil’s involvement, stating, “We should not be ashamed of being oil producers. Brazil needs to grow, develop, and create jobs and income.”

Since beginning his third term in 2023, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has positioned himself as an advocate for environmental protection, focusing on reducing Amazon deforestation and safeguarding Indigenous rights. However, he also argues that expanding oil revenues will be crucial in financing Brazil’s transition to green energy. Recently, he has urged Brazil’s environmental agency to approve exploratory oil drilling near the Amazon River’s mouth, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

Brazil ranks as the seventh-largest oil producer globally, with an output of 4.3 million barrels per day, contributing 4% of the world’s supply, according to the US Energy Information Administration. In 2024, crude oil surpassed soy as the country’s top export product, accounting for 13.3% of Brazil’s total foreign sales.

Comparatively, the United States leads global production with nearly 22 million barrels per day, while Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, extracts approximately 11 million barrels daily.

Brazil’s push for increased oil production has sparked criticism, especially as it prepares to host the COP30 UN climate summit in November. The central goal of global climate negotiations has been to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Suely Araújo, a spokesperson for the Climate Observatory, an alliance of 133 environmental, academic, and civil society groups, expressed concerns over Brazil’s decision. “Brazil’s participation in any OPEC-affiliated group signals a setback in environmental commitments,” Araújo stated. She argued that expanding fossil fuel exploration means “choosing outdated solutions in the face of urgent present and future challenges.”

As Brazil continues balancing economic growth and climate action, its OPEC+ membership raises questions about the nation’s long-term energy strategy and its role in shaping global climate policy.

Mexico will take legal action against Google if the tech giant continues to display the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for users in the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Monday. She emphasized that U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive to rename the body of water only applies to the portion of the continental shelf under U.S. jurisdiction and does not extend to Mexican or Cuban waters.

“What Google is doing is altering the name of the continental shelf belonging to Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “His order applied solely to the U.S. continental shelf.” She confirmed that Mexico’s Foreign Minister has sent another formal letter to Google addressing the issue.

Sheinbaum described the renaming as “incorrect”, clarifying that Trump’s order only applied within the U.S. maritime territory, which extends 22 nautical miles from its coastline, and not across the entire Gulf.

Last week, Google changed the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America on Google Maps for U.S. users, stating that this was part of its policy to update place names in accordance with official government sources. However, for Mexican users, the name remains unchanged, while users in other countries see both names displayed.

Sheinbaum first warned of potential legal action against Google last week, arguing that if the issue was not corrected, Mexico could pursue a civil lawsuit against the company. CNN has reached out to Google for a statement.

During her Monday press conference, Sheinbaum read Google’s response to Mexico’s original complaint from January, in which the company reiterated:

“As we announced two weeks ago and in line with our product policies, we have begun rolling out changes in Google Maps. Users in Mexico will continue to see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’”

The letter further clarified that “People in the U.S. will see ‘Gulf of America,’ while users in all other regions will see both names.”

Sheinbaum revealed that Mexico has now sent another letter to Google, demanding that any mention of 'Gulf of America' be strictly limited to U.S. territorial waters.

“Any reference to the ‘Gulf of America’ initiative on Google Maps must be restricted to the marine area under U.S. jurisdiction. Any extension beyond that boundary exceeds the authority of any national government or private entity,” the letter stated.

Sheinbaum warned that if Google does not comply, Mexico will pursue appropriate legal measures. However, the government will wait for Google’s response before taking further steps.