With the Amazon as its backdrop, Brazil has urged the world to shift from climate pledges to real action at COP30, calling for bold commitments and global cooperation
As Brazil prepares to host COP30, the country is making a bold case for turning climate negotiations into concrete action. In a letter outlining its vision for the upcoming summit, COP30 President-Designate André Aranha Corrêa do Lago emphasized the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for a collective global effort to address it.
Scheduled for November 2025 in the Amazon—one of the world’s most critical ecosystems—the summit marks a pivotal moment in climate diplomacy. It coincides with two major milestones: 20 years since the Kyoto Protocol came into force and a decade since the adoption of the Paris Agreement.
A shift from talk to action
With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record and January 2025 following as the warmest month ever, Brazil is calling for a new approach. The letter underscores the need to move past endless negotiations and focus on real-world implementation. Climate change, it stresses, is no longer a distant threat—it is a daily reality affecting economies, public health, and global stability.
Brazil is framing COP30 as an opportunity to reset the climate conversation. “The Brazilian concept of ‘mutirão’—a collective effort for a shared goal—is exactly what the world needs now. We invite all nations to join us in this global mutirão against climate change,” the letter states.
Brazil’s leadership also likens the current climate crisis to past global challenges, invoking the spirit of cooperation that led to the founding of the United Nations after World War II. It warns against the “banality of inaction” and calls for a decisive shift in global climate governance.
In focus: Climate finance
One of Brazil’s top priorities for COP30 is increasing climate finance for developing nations. The “Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T” seeks to mobilize at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035—a goal that was set at COP29—addressing barriers that make climate funding inaccessible to many Global South nations. The letter calls for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and the private sector to accelerate financial flows and set out how they will align to the Paris Agreement and meet the $1.3 trillion goal.
Brazil is also expected to push for stronger commitments on forest conservation. With the Amazon nearing an irreversible tipping point, the COP30 presidency stresses the need for aggressive deforestation reversal, ecosystem restoration, and investment in sustainable bioeconomies.
“The COP president is right to see forests as an important response to the climate emergency. However, while forest protection is essential, the real solution to the climate crisis lies in addressing its root causes. Preserving forests will only be effective if we expand Indigenous land demarcation, secure adequate direct funding, and transition to a low-carbon society—and this needs to happen fast. The cautious approach in the letter on this issue calls for more courage and ambition,” said Toya Manchineri, General Coordinator of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB).
Building on past COPs
To maintain momentum from past climate summits, Brazil is launching the “Circle of Presidencies,” an initiative bringing together former COP leaders from COP21 to COP29. This group will provide strategic input on negotiations and implementation, ensuring continuity and preventing setbacks. Leaders from the UN Conventions on Biodiversity and Desertification will also be involved to create a more unified approach to climate action.
Brazil’s vision for COP30 is clear: it must be a turning point where climate pledges translate into policies. The presidency is urging national leaders to align their commitments with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target and to accelerate the shift to low-carbon economies.
The letter also proposes a “Global Ethical Stocktake,” bringing together scientists, philosophers, and indigenous leaders to discuss the moral responsibility of tackling climate change. Brazil aims to merge climate and biodiversity efforts, highlighting the critical role of indigenous knowledge in conservation.
“The letter released by the COP30 president, André Corrêa do Lago, is a call to governments, civil society, scientists, businesses, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to overcome differences and unite in ushering in a new era of climate action, focused on implementing the commitments made over the past decade since the signing of the Paris Agreement. The COP30 president-designate urges all parties to work together in weaving a truly global effort against climate change, striving for climate balance and better living conditions for all forms of life,” said Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
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