Countdown to COP30 in Brazil

One week to go, on the 10th November world leaders will gather in the city of Belém in Brazil for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) organised by the United Nations. 

This is the first time that the conference will be held in Brazil, home of the Amazon rainforest, and will run until the 21st November. 

The COP30 website states that the location will ‘provide the world with a unique platform to discuss climate solutions, firmly rooted in the heart of the Amazon.’ 

This year’s COP30 President will be Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago (pictured below), Secretary for Climate, Energy, and Environment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Three meain goals have been established for COP30, these include reinforcing multilateralism and cooperation, connecting climate change to individuals and the economy, and accelerating implementation. Countdown to COP30 in Brazil

Alongside this, host nation Brazil has made it clear that one of its key priorities is to focus on the progress on the finance pledges made at COP29 and the ‘efforts needed’ to mitigate the global temperature increase to 1.5°C.

In a statement on the 29th October 2025, the UN Secretary-General urged world leaders to focus on the funding gap which is leaving vulnerable communities worldwide at heightened risk of natural disasters. 

It is also expected that nationally determined contributions (NDCs) will be a key part of COP30, these are national plans, submitted by attending conference parties, to address climate changes.

There has been some frustrations around the organisation of the conference, with climate activists revealing that the country has been cutting down acres of rainforest to build a four-lane highway access to Belém.

At the time the Brazilian government shared a statement that the road aligned with ‘sustainable’ credentials.

The Summit of the Heads of States

The COP30 Presidency has created a four dimensional action place for the summit which will focus first only the Summit of the Head of States taking place before the official conference on the 6-7th November.

This decision was announced by COP30 special secretary, Valter Correia who said that ‘The Summit is part of the COP, and the decision to bring it forward was made by Brasil. This will give us time for more in-depth reflection, without the pressure from hotels or the city, and will help us better organize the event's official opening.’

The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) initiative

The TFFF is a global initiative which is due to launch at COP30, it is aimed at providing long-term public and private financing for conserving and preventing the loss of tropical forests. 

More than 70 developing countries with tropical forests will be eligible to receive funds from what could be one of the largest multilateral funds ever created.

Alongside reducing emissions, the initiative is expected to provide performance-based finance for the recovery through restoration of forest.

The initiative has been in the making since Dubai’s COP28 when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva first publicly addressed the topic. Brazil has established an informal Interim Steering Committee to support the design process composed of representatives from five other tropical forest countries (TFC) including Colombia, DRC, Ghana, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Six non-TFC have been selected as potential sponsor countries and have been meeting on a regular basis: France, Germany, Norway, UAE, UK, USA.  

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Feature images by Rafa Neddermeyer/COP30 Brasil Amazônia/PR.