Rio de Janeiro – After 13 days of negotiations, the COP30 climate summit concluded on Saturday (22) in Belém, marking a series of advances and discussions that will continue over the coming months. The Brazilian presidency of COP30 achieved the unanimous approval of 29 documents by the 195 countries participating in the meeting in Pará state.
This set of texts became known as the Belém Package and is published on the website of the U.N. climate secretariat (UNFCCC), the body under which COP editions are held. According to the Brazilian presidency of the conference, the 29 decisions include advances on issues such as just transition, adaptation financing, trade, gender, and technology.
One of COP30’s major achievements is the Forever Tropical Forests Fund. On the other hand, the roadmap for phasing out a fossil fuel–dependent economy, one of the Brazilian government’s priorities, was not included in the list of consensuses.
See the main decisions resulting from COP30:
Forever Tropical Forests Fund
The Forever Tropical Forests Fund (TFFF) creates an unprecedented payment mechanism for countries to keep tropical forests standing.
Countries that preserve tropical forests will be financially rewarded through a global investment fund. At least 63 countries have already endorsed the idea. According to the COP30 presidency, the fund has already mobilized USD 6.7 billion.
Financing
Countries included in the Belém Package a commitment to triple funding for climate change adaptation by 2035, emphasizing the need for developed countries to increase support for developing nations. The “Mutirão” document mentions scaling up climate action financing, from both public and private sources, to at least USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035.
122 countries with NDCs
COP30 concludes with 122 countries having submitted Nationally Determined Contributions, known in discussions by the acronym NDC. NDCs are the targets and commitments that parties make to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Countries are required to submit a new version of their NDC every five years, with updated ambitions.
Global goal on adaptation
COP30 received 59 voluntary indicators to monitor progress under the Global Goal on Adaptation. These indicators cover sectors such as water, food, health, ecosystems, infrastructure, and livelihoods. All of them incorporate cross-cutting issues like finance, technology, and capacity-building.
Focus on people
The approved documents emphasize that a just transition must pay attention to people, both as key actors and in terms of equality, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive greater consideration in the context of climate change. For the first time, people of African descent were mentioned in the conference’s climate documents.
Gender
Countries approved a Gender Action Plan. The initiative increases gender-responsive budgeting and financing, and promotes the leadership of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural women.
Collective ambition
The “Mutirão” document reaffirms the determination to increase collective ambition over time. To achieve this, there are two implementation mechanisms. One is the Global Implementation Accelerator: a collaborative and voluntary initiative to support countries in implementing their NDCs and National Adaptation Plans. The other is the Belém Mission for 1.5°C, a platform aimed at promoting greater ambition and international cooperation in mitigation, adaptation, and investment.
Implementation COP
Brazil has argued that a series of impactful announcements and initiatives are already underway, making this COP the conference for implementing measures. Examples include the FINI Initiative (Fostering Investible National Implementation), aimed at making National Adaptation Plans more feasible; the Gates Foundation’s pledge of USD 1.4 billion to support smallholder farmers; the Belém Health Action Plan, which elevated health as a climate priority; and the announcement of support from ten countries for the Root Accelerator, an initiative to restore degraded farmland and mobilize private capital.
Roadmap
A priority for the Brazilian government, and highlighted in recent speeches by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Roadmap—a plan for phasing out fossil fuels, the greenhouse gas emitters responsible for global warming—was not included in the official documents. The roadmap received support from 80 to 85 countries. According to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and the COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, the Roadmap has not been discarded. On the contrary, it will be part of discussions among countries in the coming months.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
