Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California, found the Governors’ task force for climate and forests (GCF Task Force) in Expert XP 2025which happened last Friday (25). The task force was created by him in 2008 and is the largest subnational government network in the world focused on forests and climate.
The meeting was attended by governors Wilson Lima (Amazonas), Helder Barbalho (Pará), Marcos Rocha (Rondônia), as well as environmental secretaries Mauren Lazzaretti (Mato Grosso), Marcello de Lima Lellis (Tocantins) and Eduardo Taveira (Amazonas).
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During the meeting, state leaders reinforced the importance of the GCF as a cooperation space to create and apply policies that combine environmental preservation with sustainable economic development. The proposal is to promote a new forest economy, based on a low carbon economy and more social equality.
The governor of Amazonas, Wilson Lima, pointed out: “Regional governments must be protagonists to respond to the climate crisis. It is necessary to create a fairer ecosystem and make resources come to those who struggle to preserve nature.”
Helder Barbalho, governor of Pará, followed in the same line: “Environmental commitment will only walk if there is also a social commitment. The world needs to understand it.” Already the governor of Rondônia stressed: “The population of Rondônia, 2 million, wants this conciliation”, referring to the balance between conservation and production.
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Schwarzenegger shared experiences from his management in California, where he promoted renewable energy and reduced pollution. “At the time, we were the only state that reduced pollution by 25% and widened the use of renewable energy significantly. This independent of the federal government,” he recalled.
COP30
About COP30, which will be held in Belém (PA), Schwarzenegger said the event represents a chance to reinforce the role of local governments in global climate decisions.
“We know that we have a responsibility to act locally. Power is at the state and municipal levels. COP should have a day dedicated to subnational governments,” he suggested.
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In 2008, the group was launched with ten US, Brazil and Indonesia states. Today, there are already 45 subnational governments in 11 countries, covering the entire Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon, 75% of the Bolivian forest and most of the forests of Mexico and Indonesia.
Governor Wilson Lima also highlighted the group’s advance since its foundation, stressing that the expansion was what led to the creation of public policies that treat forests as a central solution to the climate crisis, not as an obstacle to development. He also mentioned the Manaus Action Plan, launched in 2022, which intends to reduce deforestation by up to 80% in the Member States.
During the meeting, the GCF Annual Meeting was also remembered, held in May in Rio Branco (AC), which discussed topics such as firefighting, support for indigenous communities, the fight against crime in forests and the reduction of poverty.
