First Week of COP30 in Belém Brings Record Attendance and Sparks Debates Amid Intense Amazonian Climate

The first week of COP30, held in Belém from 10 to 21 November 2025, established itself as a landmark moment in contemporary environmental diplomacy. Situated in the heart of the Amazon, the conference gathered more than 56,000 participants and brought to the forefront a broad spectrum of complex debates — ranging from deadlocks in international negotiations to scientific urgency, in addition to major financial announcements and unprecedented Brazilian public policy initiatives.

More than merely a climate conference, COP30 revealed, almost pedagogically, the contrast between global expectations and the political constraints that still prevent the goals of the Paris Agreement from gaining genuine traction.

The historical dimension of COP30: between the Amazon and the world

The official count of 56,118 registered delegates positioned COP30 as the second-largest climate conference ever held — a figure that warrants careful scrutiny.

Climate conferences often serve as barometers of international political will. The larger the attendance, the greater the pressure placed upon negotiators. The strong presence of governments, NGOs, major international funds, private-sector representatives and, notably, Indigenous peoples, produced a plural, intense and narrative-driven conference.

In Belém, this diversity became even more evident through the spatial distribution of the event — the civil society pavilion, the Indigenous peoples’ pavilion, national pavilions, technical areas and formal negotiation rooms.

Each group carried distinct expectations:

• Governments sought to defend their targets and secure financial resources.

• Corporations attempted to demonstrate progress in the energy transition.

• Environmental organizations demanded binding commitments.

• Indigenous peoples and traditional communities sought recognition, territorial security and protagonism.

• Academics pressed for decisions that reflected scientific evidence.

  
  

The result was a vibrant and simultaneously tense environment — characteristic of conferences in which strategic interests diverge on the fundamental issue of who should bear the costs of the climate crisis.

The Amazonian climate as protagonist: the body perceives what the planet endures

Holding COP30 in the heart of the Amazon was a strategic decision — and during the first week, it became clear how deeply the environment would shape participants’ perceptions.

Belém exhibited its typical November climatology:

• Mornings marked by intense heat, thermal sensation above 38°C and humidity exceeding 80%;

• Afternoons punctuated by heavy rainfall, lightning and thunder that interrupted scheduled panels;

• Strong evening winds accompanied by the characteristic scent of a rain-soaked forest.

  
  

For delegates from temperate countries, this juxtaposition — humid heat and sudden storms — reinforced the notion that the Amazon is not merely a subject of negotiation, but a living, powerful ecosystem capable of influencing the very climate of the event.

Political climate: urgency, pressure and narrow negotiation margins

The prevailing sentiment in the corridors was that the world is behind schedule. The latest IPCC report had already warned of the need to reduce global emissions by roughly 43% by 2030. We are five years from that deadline, and no major emitter is aligned with this trajectory.

Thus, even before the arrival of ministers and heads of state, the first week registered:

• Mounting pressure on developed nations to expand climate financing;

• Frustration among developing countries, which argue they lack resources to accelerate the energy transition;

• Criticism from scientists, who deem current targets insufficient;

• Diplomatic clashes, particularly concerning oil exploration, financial compensations and the use of carbon credits.

  
  

Belém therefore became a stage for intense disputes — some discreet, others overt.

Billions for forests: the advancement of the TFFF and the global financial chessboard

One of the most significant announcements of the week was the strengthening of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF). The fund, designed to reward nations that conserve their tropical forests, gained both volume and international relevance.

Norway, Brazil and the redesign of global incentives

• Norway announced a contribution of approximately US$ 3 billion.

• Brazil reported that it has already contributed roughly US$ 1 billion.

  
  

The fund, which aims to reach US$ 125 billion, differs from previous initiatives by operating as a global endowment whose annual yield would be allocated to countries that prevent deforestation. The model reverses a historical logic: instead of punishing those who deforest, it rewards those who conserve — linking territorial preservation to financial stability.

Baku to Belém Roadmap: the promise of US$ 1.3 trillion annually

Another high-impact announcement was the global plan to mobilize US$ 1.3 trillion per year in climate financing by 2035.

This figure seeks to correct a long-standing gap: although climate goals are ambitious, financing mechanisms remain insufficient.

The Roadmap proposes:

• expanding the role of multilateral development banks;

• creating credit lines specifically for vulnerable nations;

• increasing financial guarantees to attract private capital;

• establishing more transparent rules for traceability;

• stimulating investments in forests and clean energy.

  
  

Consensus on governance has not yet been achieved, but the plan was regarded as the most concrete step toward reconciling ambition with budgetary reality.

Essential discussions: energy, Paris and cities

a) Energy transition: the tension between potential and contradiction

“Green industrialization” gained prominence during the week, driven by the Belém Declaration, signed by 35 countries and organizations.

Brazil seeks to position itself as a leader of a new economy that reconciles:

• the expansion of renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass);

• green hydrogen;

• carbon capture and storage;

• forest-based bioeconomy;

• advanced biofuels.

  
  

Yet contradictions persist. The country is still evaluating oil exploration along the equatorial margin, which has generated criticism from socioenvironmental organizations and diplomatic friction with European partners.

b) The Paris Agreement under strain

COP30 takes place following the first full cycle of the Global Stocktake, the mechanism assessing whether nations remain on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C.

The conclusion is unequivocal: they are not.

Belém thus became a venue for demanding that countries revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Pressure was concentrated particularly on:

• the United States,

• the European Union,

• China,

• India,

• and oil-exporting nations.

  
  

Brazil, although praised for its recent reduction in deforestation, faces calls for greater clarity in its long-term energy strategy.

c) PlaNAU: a historic urban plan for Brazil

The launch of the National Urban Afforestation Plan (PlaNAU) was among the highlights of the Brazilian delegation. The plan aims to:

• increase urban tree cover;

• ensure that 65% of Brazilians live on streets with at least three trees;

• create 360,000 hectares of urban green areas.

  
  

Direct impacts include:

• reduction of urban heat islands;

• improved air quality;

• enhanced climate resilience;

• increased real estate valuation;

• mitigation of thermal stress in major cities.

  
  

By presenting the plan in Belém, the government sought to link domestic policy to the global climate agenda — a gesture that resonated positively among Latin American countries and international organizations.

The US$ 1.3 trillion “map”: the major legacy at stake

The central ambition of COP30 lies in constructing a structured roadmap to mobilize US$ 1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

If approved, it will constitute the largest climate-finance plan ever negotiated.

This “map” is being disputed point by point:

• Who will pay?

• How will payments be structured?

• What interest rates will apply?

• What guarantees will be required?

• What traceability standards will be adopted?

• What share will be allocated to forests?

• What portion will address mitigation and adaptation?

• How can corruption be prevented?

• How can Indigenous peoples be protected?

  
  

None of these questions is settled, but discussions progressed more rapidly than in previous conferences — largely due to international pressure for tangible results.

Belém as symbol, test and opportunity

The first week of COP30 revealed a gathering remarkable in both scale and political density. The Amazon, with its intense climate and symbolic weight, imbued the conference with an almost sensory dimension.

Diplomatically, the event oscillated between hope and frustration:

• Hope, due to the multibillion-dollar announcements, the progress of forest funds and the increasingly transparent debate surrounding global financing;

• Frustration, as many structural issues — such as the gradual elimination of fossil fuels — remain paralyzed by political and economic pressures.

  
  

For Brazil, the initial balance is positive: the country reinforced its image as an environmental leader, presented new policies such as PlaNAU and secured space in the debate on forest financing.

But the second week will be the true test. With the arrival of heads of state and finance ministers, Belém may:

• enter history as the COP that marked a turning point, should the US$ 1.3 trillion roadmap advance; or

• repeat the cycle of ambitious rhetoric and modest outcomes.

  
  

Expectations in the corridors and pavilions converge on a common hope: that the Amazon — a global symbol of conservation and a strategic axis of the climate system — will inspire decisions capable of responding to the urgency of the moment.

Source

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