Energy transition and country commitment are themes of negotiations between governments and civil society organizations to reach consensus that helps save the planet and people
In exactly one month, most of the world’s eyes will be focused on the Northern region of Brazil, more specifically the Amazon region. On November 10th, the em . The international meeting in the capital of Pará will continue until the 21st. Delegations from governments and civil society organizations from all parts of the planet are expected to seek solutions for the and climate change. While the city makes adjustments to infrastructure, logistics and accommodation, Brazilian experts and negotiators strive to reach consensus that will help save the planet and its people.
Negotiations
Last week, the National Secretary for Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Aloisio Lopes de Melo, one of the Brazilian government’s main authorities on the topic, outlined the main challenges and issues of interest to Brazil, the country that holds the presidency of COP30. He participated in a meeting with representatives of scientific institutions, at the headquarters of the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), in Rio de Janeiro.
“It is an enormous responsibility of the Brazilian government to be the president at this critical moment”, he highlighted. At the time, experts participating in the meeting called for more decision-making power for science at COP30. Aloisio Melo is one of the voices participating in the preparation of the Climate Plan, the national policy to combat climate change, with actions planned between 2024 and 2035. Based on the national secretary’s presentation, Agência Brasil prepared a guide on the main challenges of the Brazilian presidency of COP30.
Multilateralism
In the secretary’s assessment, Brazil holds the presidency of the meeting in a “quite complex” context, with political and military conflicts, meaning that the first challenge is to strengthen the . “The first challenge is the need to affirm this multilateral framework as necessary, fundamental and effective to face climate change,” he says, referring to protocols such as the Paris Agreement, which limits the increase in temperature to 1.5° Celsius (C) above pre-industrial levels.
“We have to show that an internationally coordinated effort is necessary for action to combat climate change,” says Melo. “There is a bombardment on the multilateral system, and this COP has to show that this system is capable of responding and showing action”, he adds.
Countries’ ambition
Another challenge is the ambition of the countries. According to him, the basis of the Paris Agreement is countries presenting their voluntary contributions to maintain the trajectory of limiting the increase to 1.5°C. “This depends on countries presenting their commitments and, then, that these commitments are sufficient to take us to that trajectory”. Melo points out that around 50 nations delivered a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and approximately 100 did not do so, but presented commitments.
Earlier this year, the Paris Agreement suffered a setback, with the announcement by the recently inaugurated President of the United States, Donald Trump, that he would leave the international treaty. On the other hand, Brazil revised the National Policy on Climate Change to align commitments with the Paris Agreement and move towards net zero emissions (difference between emission and capture) of greenhouse gases by 2050.
With Donald Trump’s decision, the United States left the international treaty
Private sector
The national secretary highlights that, in the private sector, innovation around decarbonization is already an assumed driver in several industries and sectors. “The metrics are clear, the strategies and the technological agenda are well defined.” According to him, this meeting of public and private worlds shows that entities are in movement.
Financing
Another challenge is financing, which faces the need to mobilize US$1.3 trillion by 2035. “These are quite astronomical numbers.” Aloisio Melo says that “a lot of people” are working on this search, and cites conversations that involve the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, and ministers from other countries. “But there is a question to ask: how much of this amount will be allocated to the research, development, innovation and implementation agenda, helping countries, especially developing ones, to effectively implement the measures?”, he asks.
Adaptation
The national secretary considers that COP30 will have the framework of “talking seriously” about adaptation. “The presidency has made this a priority agenda.” “It is a very dense agenda in information, knowledge”, says the secretary, adding that adaptation is also a priority of the Brazilian Climate Plan. He hopes that the COP will be able to approve a framework of adaptation indicators. Aloisio Melo highlighted that the Brazilian team was part of the international group that proposed 100 global adaptation indicators that must be validated. “It will be a reference for countries from now on, if it is approved”.
Just transition
The secretary classifies the energy transition as one of the most sensitive and complex topics at COP30. He recalls that it is agreed between countries to move away from fossil fuels, triple the use of renewable energy globally and double energy efficiency. “Our MMA perspective is that this COP must create the path for countries to clearly define the step-by-step process to reach zero or the minimum possible use of fossil fuels.”
Aloisio calls for an international agreement to have indicators to address relevant socioeconomic and fiscal issues. “Producing countries, like us, are dependent on this revenue, from the point of view of closing government accounts, it has a macroeconomic impact, it has a distributional impact”, he ponders. But Melo is adamant: “if we don’t address this, which is 70% of global emissions, we are not seriously talking about tackling climate change”.
Logging
One topic that will receive attention at COP30 is the issue of and forest degradation. Melo cites the Tropical Forest Fund (TFFF), a type of reward for countries that preserve their tropical forests. “We will be contributors to this fund.”
Operation against illegal deforestation was carried out by Ibama in the Pantanal
Ocean
The National Secretary for Climate Change also draws attention to new knowledge that needs to be acquired. He cites the example of the oceans. “The theme of the oceans has gained a lot of relevance over time, including from the point of view of climate action”, he says. “But, certainly, there are still many demands to better understand the interaction between the ocean and climate, what is happening to the ocean, and better understand the potential impacts on the climate system, but also on human systems”, he adds.
*With information from Agência Brasil
