The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has officially started. Delegates are convening in Belem, Brazil, to address pressing climate priorities. This year’s event, often referred to as the “implementation COP,” aims to advance global efforts in combating climate change while emphasizing the importance of Indigenous peoples and land stewardship.
Belem, located in the very center of the Amazon rainforest, offers an exceptional backdrop for conversations about promoting and protecting our planet. Indigenous communities play an essential role in conserving important ecosystems. Here, we showcase their stories. So far, the conference has created a splash for itself through its emphasis on actionable measures of different scales and gravities, rather than eye-popping new agreements.
Despite the significance of the talks, the United States, one of the world’s largest carbon emitters, will not be presenting its updated national plan to combat climate change. The U.S. previously withdrew from the Paris Agreement, which aimed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Many scientists now express doubt that this critical threshold can be maintained, as global temperatures have already risen approximately 0.46 degrees Celsius since the agreement was established.
Attendees at COP30 were expected to bring their updated national plans, yet the absence of a U.S. proposal raises concerns regarding collective global progress. Here’s what former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres had to say about what will go down at COP30. She argues that the real questions posed by possible deals are ones that miss the mark entirely.
“Those who go to Belem asking the question ‘what is the agreement that is going to come out of it?’ are asking the wrong question.” – Christiana Figueres
This sentiment reflects a growing recognition that immediate actions and commitments may take precedence over formal agreements at this conference. The urgency of addressing climate change has never been more pronounced, particularly for poorer communities who often bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters.
Brazil’s federal government, in close collaboration with several states, is at the helm of a new initiative Tropical Forests Forever Facility. Over time, this program has been designed to financially incentivize countries to do more, and better protect, manage and restore their forests. Brazil is actually incentivizing other countries to stop deforesting their own tropical forests. Not only does this initiative provide long-term sustainable practices essential for fighting climate change,
Alongside government efforts, COP30 is highlighting the benefits and necessity of protecting Indigenous rights. For one, it raises up land stewardship as a key pillar of just and effective climate solutions. The Amazon rainforest that flanks Belem is veritably teeming with rich, varied Indigenous communities. These communities have protected some of the world’s last intact ecosystems for millennia using their rich traditional knowledge and practices.
Juan Carlos Navarro, former environmental activist turned politician, shared his doubts about the general impact of these conferences. He blasted them for making “big carbon footprints” while delivering no demonstrable outcomes.
“A jet-setting orgy of bureaucrats who travel around the world with a tremendous carbon footprint and achieve nothing.” – Juan Carlos Navarro
As discussions progress, COP30 will likely focus on how nations can implement existing agreements and enhance their commitments to climate action. Large natural resource countries, such as our host country of Brazil, need a strong partner. Matching the domestic and global interests of these countries will require deepening this new partnership.
