Letter outlining Brazil's vision for COP30 underscores climate urgency
Ambassador André Correa do Lago and Ana Toni, president and executive director of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), on Monday (Mar. 10), presented a letter outlining Brazil's vision for the summit, which will be held in November in Belém, Pará state. The 11-page document emphasizes the importance of countries coming together to address a challenge and concern shared by all of humanity.
“Change is inevitable—either by choice or by catastrophe. If global warming is left unchecked, change will be imposed on us as it disrupts our societies, economies, and families,“ the letter warns.
The document outlines the path forward, urging countries to choose resilience and decisive action over catastrophe, cynicism, and denial. “As the nation of football, Brazil believes we can win by 'virada'. This means fighting back to turn the game around when defeat seems almost certain,” it states.
The letter is addressed to leaders and stakeholders involved in negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). According to Corrêa do Lago, the goal is for its ideas to extend beyond the 196 member countries of the treaty and gain broader international support, reinforcing a truly “global effort.”
A notable example of global joint effort was the alliance of nations to end World War II, which led to the establishment of the United Nations.
Paris Agreement
According to the Brazilian negotiators, while the Paris Agreement is functional, negotiations must be translated into concrete actions and, most importantly, effective results. This responsibility lies with national policymakers and political leaders, who will ultimately be judged if they fail to respond decisively to the escalating climate crisis. “Lack of ambition will be judged as lack of leadership as there will be no global leadership in the 21st century that is not defined by climate leadership,” the letter states.
For the Brazilian negotiators, COP30 will serve as the pivotal point, gaining momentum from each nation's actions to address the global challenge. “The legitimate forum for negotiations is the Paris Agreement and the Climate Convention. This is why there is a clear distinction between what is to be negotiated and its implementation, which relies on other bodies,” explains Corrêa do Lago.
Pending issues
Among the key issues still pending in the negotiations, the letter highlights the implementation of the Global Stocktake (GST), a transparency mechanism outlined in the Paris Agreement. The first version of the GST was presented during COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. According to the document, countries must make progress in presenting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Biennial Transparency Reports.
The letter notes that negotiations on the Just Transition Work Program (JTWP) still need to be concluded. The program addresses mitigation, adaptation, financing, technology, and capacity building from the perspective of the most vulnerable countries.
The Brazilian document also emphasizes the integration of cross-cutting climate change agendas as a key theme for COP30, highlighting the importance of robust public participation and expanding the role and contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities.
“The more ubiquitous our fight against climate change becomes, the more we need to incorporate synergies between climate, biodiversity, desertification, and our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” the letter states.
In this regard, the COP30 presidency has committed to conducting a Global Ethical Stocktake (GES) to engage a geographically diverse group of thinkers, scientists, politicians, religious leaders, artists, philosophers, and representatives of indigenous and traditional communities.
Among other initiatives and discussions, the COP30 presidency highlighted the continuation of efforts to develop the $1.3 trillion Road Map from Baku to Belém. Initiated at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, this initiative aims to enhance financing mechanisms to ensure climate action, particularly in the least developed countries.
“Climate shocks may not come slowly – they might emerge abruptly, in irreversible shifts,” the letter warns. It concludes by stating that the COP30 presidency will serve as the driving force behind a global effort to guide the world toward a future led by nations committed to renewal, regeneration, and global cooperation.
