Belém’s COP30 - Brazil and the Philippines moving the house forward together

When the world convenes in Belém, Brazil, in November for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), the event will mark more than a milestone in global climate negotiations.

- GILBERTO FONSECA GUIMARÃES DE MOURA

For the first time, a COP will take place in the world’s largest tropical rainforest, a setting that underscores humanity’s connection with nature. Brazil's presidency seeks to turn that symbolism into action, steering the agenda toward implementation, inclusion and ambition. Expected to host about 50,000 participants, COP30 arrives at a decisive moment: the first Global Stocktake (GST) of the Paris Agreement shows that progress, though real, remains insufficient to keep global warming within safe limits.

Brazil’s approach rests on three pillars: strengthening multilateralism, linking climate action to people’s lives and accelerating the delivery of existing pledges. Its guiding concept, mutirão — a community mobilization where neighbors join forces to accomplish difficult tasks — mirrors the Filipino spirit of bayanihan. Both express collective effort and reciprocity: moving a house, replanting a field or sharing labor, knowing it will one day be repaid.

In this spirit, COP30 puts cooperation at the heart of climate action, asserting that the transition succeeds only as a shared civic practice. Brazil's Agenda unites governments, scientists, businesses and communities to advance the energy transition, sustainable use of forests and oceans, climate-smart agriculture, resilient cities, social inclusion and the mobilization of finance, technology and knowledge. Activation groups will spotlight practical solutions, such as off-grid renewables powering remote villages, mangrove restoration and early-warning systems saving lives.