An Age of Fine Addresses and Good Intentions is Finished: Brazil's Cop30 Will Be About Action
Today, within Brazil's Amazon region, the Belém conference commences prior to the UN's 30th climate summit (Cop30). Leaders have been gathered by me world leaders in the days leading up to the conference to ensure collective dedication to acting with the urgency the climate crisis demands.
If we fail to move beyond speeches into real action, public trust will diminish – not just in climate conferences, and in international cooperation along with global diplomacy in general. This is the reason for convening leaders to the Amazon: to establish this as the "truthful Cop", the occasion where we prove our collective dedication's gravity toward Earth.
Humanity has shown its ability to overcome great challenges through united efforts and is guided by science. We protected the ozone layer. The global response to the Covid-19 pandemic showed that decisive global action is possible when there is courage and political will.
The Earth Summit was held in Brazil back in 1992. Agreements on climate, biodiversity, and desertification were endorsed, and adopted principles that defined a new paradigm for preserving Earth and humankind. Over the past 33 years, these gatherings have produced important agreements and goals for cutting emissions – including halting deforestation by 2030 to increasing renewable energy threefold.
More than three decades later, global attention returns to Brazil to confront climate change. It is no coincidence that Cop30 takes place deep within the Amazon jungle. It offers a chance for leaders, envoys, researchers, campaigners, and reporters to observe the Amazon's actual conditions. We want the world to see the forests' real status, Earth's biggest river system, and the millions of people who live in the region. Cops cannot be mere showcases of good ideas or yearly meetings for delegates. They should serve as encounters with actuality and opportunities for real steps against environmental shifts.
To confront this crisis together, financial support is essential. And we must recognise that the concept of shared yet varied duties stays as the fixed basis for all climate agreements. This is why developing nations call for greater access to resources – not out of charity, but as fairness. Rich countries have benefited the most from the carbon-based economy. They should now fulfill their obligations, not just through pledges but by honouring their debts.
Brazil is fulfilling its role. In only two years, we have already halved deforestation in the Amazon, demonstrating that real environmental measures can work.
In Belém, we will launch an innovative initiative to preserve forests: the TFFF fund. It is innovative because it operates as a financial investment tool, rather than a charity system. The TFFF will reward those who keep their forests standing and those who invest in the fund. A true mutually beneficial strategy for addressing environmental issues. Setting an example, Brazil has pledged $1 billion to the TFFF, and we expect equally ambitious announcements from other nations.
We also set an example by being the second nation to submit a fresh NDC. Brazil has vowed to cut its emissions from 59% to 67%, covering all greenhouse gases and all sectors of the economy. In this spirit, we urge all nations to propose similarly bold NDCs and to execute them thoroughly.
Shifting energy sources is crucial for achieving Brazil's climate goals. Our energy matrix is among the cleanest in the world, with 88% of our electricity coming from renewable sources. We are a leader in biofuels and are advancing in wind, solar and green hydrogen energy.
Redirecting revenues from oil production to finance a just, orderly and equitable energy transition will be essential. In the long run, global petroleum firms, such as Brazil's Petrobras, will transform into energy companies, because a growth model based on fossil fuels cannot last.
Individuals should be the focus in climate policy choices and the shift to clean energy. We must recognise that society's most at-risk groups are the most affected by the impacts of climate change, which is why just transition and adaptation plans should target reducing disparities.
We cannot forget that 2 billion people lack access to clean technologies and fuels for cooking, and over 673 million face hunger. In response, we are introducing in Belém a declaration on hunger, poverty and climate. Our pledge to combat climate change must be directly linked to the fight against hunger.
It is equally essential that we push for changes in international governance. Today, international cooperation is hindered by the stagnation within the UN Security Council. Created to preserve peace, it has failed to prevent wars. It is our duty, therefore to fight for the reform of this institution. During Cop30, we will push for the creation of a UN climate change council linked to the general assembly. It would be a new governance structure with the force and legitimacy to guarantee nations fulfill their pledges, and an effective step toward reversing the current paralysis of the multilateral system.
During each environmental summit, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments. The era of declarations of good intentions has ended: the moment for implementation plans is here. This is why we commence today the "truthful Cop".