November 22, 2025
Belém, Brazil (Nov. 22, 2025) – As COP30 concludes in Belém, Conservation International calls on governments, companies, and communities to carry forward the Brazilian spirit of mutirão — collective action — and turn rising global momentum into real progress for climate and nature.
Lina Barrera, Senior Vice President of Global Policy and Government Affairs at Conservation International, said:
“From the beginning, COP30 stood apart. Set in Belém, near the mouth of the Amazon River —where the fate of the forest and the global climate are inseparable — this COP symbolized the urgent need to center nature in the fight against climate change. But we don’t leave Belém celebrating symbols alone; we leave with real, if still imperfect, progress.
“There remains a strong global consensus for transitioning away from fossil fuels and strengthening the natural ecosystems that support our climate, our health, and our economies. Few are still debating whether these transitions are necessary, the real gap has been meaningful discussion about how to deliver them. Though parties were unable to reach a formal agreement on specific roadmaps to accomplish these goals, the direction of travel is clear. These conversations, and the momentum behind them, will continue.
“Progress will not manifest through rhetoric alone. Nature is among the most cost-effective and readily available climate solutions — essential to our health and economic well-being — yet remains dramatically underfunded. The Tropical Forests Forever Facility established at COP30, backed by several billion dollars in commitments, is an important step toward closing that gap and ensuring more finance directly reaches Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who steward our most carbon-rich forests. Similarly, progress on Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement affirms the need for high-quality carbon markets that support climate action. Still, uncertainty around how nature fits into these markets continues to slow the flow of finance to ecosystems, communities, and local livelihoods.
“As negotiators worked to spur action that will mitigate future warming, they took a meaningful step to address its immediate impacts, with parties calling to triple finance for climate adaptation by 2035. This outcome recognizes the gravity of this moment, as rising seas threaten to engulf entire islands; storm-driven mudslides swallow villages whole; and seasonal fires rip through forests, releasing centuries of stored carbon back into the atmosphere. The adopted indicators, however, could be more detailed to ensure global progress is measurable.Climate change already costs the world hundreds of billions of dollars each year, hitting the countries least responsible for the crisis the hardest. We need to imminently mobilize finance for these climate-vulnerable communities and ecosystems while tracking adaptation progress. Further delay will jeopardize untold innocent lives and livelihoods.
“This outcome is far from perfect; ambition is still slowed by a handful of prominent obstructionists. However, we’re encouraged by Brazil’s commitment to lead dialogues next year that will develop roadmaps to phase out fossil fuels and halt deforestation. Leaders should take COP30 as a clear signal that environmental diplomacy remains essential. Our “mutirão” — this Brazilian spirit of collectivity, of coming together — must carry beyond the confines of COP30, into board rooms, government buildings, and communities around the world. Momentum to solve our cascading crises is building — from the forests of Brazil to the savannas of Tanzania, the islands of Indonesia to the mountains of Cambodia. Global collaboration is never easy and often far too slow, but it is not optional. Dwindling attempts to stall climate action will fail because the will of the people is undeniable: protecting ourselves means protecting our planet.”