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The federal government spent as much as $728,881 on Canada’s climate change pavilion at the COP30 summit in Brazil, according to newly released records detailing the taxpayer-funded climate showcase in Belém.

An Order Paper response from Environment and Climate Change Canada shows the government officially reported current costs of $650,096.83 for the Canadian pavilion, though another section of the same disclosure estimates final costs closer to $728,881.75.

The spending breakdown includes:

• $190,866 for pavilion rental, design, furnishings, and construction
• $108,271 for audiovisual services
• $310,875 for event management and operations
• $20,326 for simultaneous interpretation
• $9,100 for procurement services
• $4,471 for promotional materials
• $4,210 for cleaning services
• Nearly $2,000 for hospitality events

The single largest contract went to DMDL, which received a sole-sourced $433,661 contract to build and furnish the Canada pavilion and delegation office in Brazil. Another $310,875 contract went to MCI for managing the pavilion website, organizing events, and coordinating logistics.

Ottawa also paid for outside activists and organizations to attend the summit.

Government-funded travel expenses included:

• $6,000 for Yenny Vega of the International Observatory for the Rights of Nature
• $5,903 for the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care
• $5,092 for Akisqnuk First Nation Chief Donald Sam
• $4,872 for a representative of the British Columbia Assembly of First Nations
• $4,645 for Iron & Earth
• $4,215 for Elevate Equity

Just three federal employees were officially assigned to support the pavilion directly, costing taxpayers another $31,240 in travel and related expenses.

The government says the pavilion was intended to showcase “low-carbon technologies,” “climate leadership,” “gender equality,” “youth empowerment,” and “information integrity.” Internal evaluations tracked quotas for Indigenous speakers, diversity representation, and participation from “historically underrepresented groups,” including LGBTQ identities.

Officials also measured success by ensuring at least 20% of speakers came from “underrepresented groups” and by attracting more than 5,000 visitors to the pavilion website. The government claims the site ultimately drew 7,300 users.