The holding of COP30 in Brazil is being described by the Brazilian government itself as a landmark moment for the global climate scenario. After decades of treaties and promises that in practice have not moved much beyond the planning stage, the moment is now described as one of transition to putting them into practice. Belém hosted global leaders in an event that exemplified urgent needs, accumulated frustrations, and, finally, a renewed expectation. The country affirms that now begins an era of real implementation.
COP30 as a symbol of change towards a results-focused phase
For the Brazilian government, COP30 is not seen as just another round of international political negotiations or merely a commitment on the leaders’ agenda. The country made a point of presenting the meeting as an opportunity to rebuild trust between nations and recover the practical meaning of the climate system created more than three decades ago. Since the signing of the Climate Convention in 1992, also on Brazilian soil, the world has accumulated a series of commitments that, in practice, have not advanced much in terms of efficiency.
Brazilian leadership opted for a direct and realistic discourse; that is, instead of creating ambitious new goals that may never actually be implemented, the focus was on transforming what had already been agreed upon into concrete actions.
Implementation emerges as the central pillar shaping Brazil’s climate strategy
The proposed approach for the event stems from a more realistic perception of the execution of pre-established goals, demonstrating that without visible or proven results, the credibility of the process weakens. By focusing efforts primarily on implementation, Brazil attempts to steer negotiations towards a more pragmatic path, bringing governments, civil society, and the private sector closer together.
“These initiatives contain some very important climate actions, and if we are able to energise these, we can make some good progress on fighting climate change. It will also help in reinstating trust in this process,” said Ana Toni, the Brazilian COP30 CEO.
Brazil advocates for practical cooperation to unlock climate change and reduce inequality
Beyond the clear objective of proposing a policy of more practical and implementing actions, another pillar of Brazil’s position at COP30 was to reaffirm that diplomacy plays a fundamental role in relations between countries with distinct responsibilities and very different economic realities. It explores the recognition that, amidst geopolitical tensions and disputes over funding, cooperation is often the first to suffer.
In this effort, Brazil has launched initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, which consists of a financial incentive for countries focused on long-term tropical forest preservation measures. Another initiative is the OPIN network, whose main objective is to integrate technology with climate change solutions for forecasting, integration, and monitoring.
Both are examples of proposals designed to try to guarantee measurable results and the responsible participation of various sectors. Finally, the Brazilian agenda also places due importance on the discourse of adaptation, a topic often relegated to the background but fundamental to reducing risks and inequalities.
Implementation as a way to bring the climate closer to everyday global life
The COP30 presidency focused on conveying the message that bringing the climate debate closer to people’s realities is essential to keeping the topic relevant amidst a series of international and diplomatic crises. The idea is to show that the actions discussed in Belém are not detached from daily life; on the contrary, they are connected to issues such as water security, health, employment, energy, and urban development.
By stating that COP30 inaugurates a new era of implementation, Brazil is attempting to transform accumulated frustrations using a new, practical, and direct perspective. If this promise takes shape, Belém will have secured its objective of replacing empty rhetoric with concrete results.