By Alcilene Farias (CFC-GS/ UFPA)
Given the growing urgency of mobilizing resources to address the global climate crisis, discussions on climate finance ahead of COP30 in Belém became a priority. During COP29 in Baku, a commitment was established to increase resources allocated to developing countries to US$300 billion annually by 2035, in addition to the goal of mobilizing up to US$1.3 trillion per year for climate action over the same period (UNFCCC, 2024; UNFCCC, 2025). As the host country, Brazil sought to strengthen dialogue between developed and developing economies, advocating for mechanisms capable of expanding access to climate finance and accelerating the implementation of commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
In this context, the Baku to Belém Roadmap gained prominence as an initiative aimed at developing pathways to increase financial flows for climate action and support resilient, low-carbon development trajectories. The proposal emerged from the recognition that the resources currently available are insufficient for the most vulnerable countries to implement mitigation, adaptation, and energy transition policies. For this reason, the Roadmap sought to go beyond traditional public financing by expanding the participation of multilateral development banks, private investors, international climate funds, among others. According to the Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T report published by the UNFCCC, expanding instruments such as concessional finance, grants, debt relief, and risk-reduction mechanisms is essential to increasing climate finance flows to developing countries (UNFCCC, 2025).
The Brazilian COP30 Presidency sought to advance discussions on the global energy transition through the proposal of a roadmap for a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. However, the negotiations revealed significant geopolitical obstacles. The lack of consensus among countries prevented the inclusion of stronger commitments on fossil fuels in the conference’s final agreement, reflecting disagreements between developed and developing countries and resistance from major oil-producing countries to proposals aimed at accelerating the energy transition (UNFCCC, 2025).
In this context, holding COP30 in Belém took on strategic significance. For the first time, a Conference of the Parties was held in the heart of the world’s largest tropical rainforest, reinforcing the need to integrate forest protection into global strategies for addressing climate change. The Amazon came to be viewed not only as an area for environmental conservation, but also as a fundamental element for sustainable development and the construction of a low-carbon economy. In this regard, the Brazilian government highlighted issues such as combating deforestation, the bioeconomy, sustainable development, and strengthening Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. The protection of tropical forests and the energy transition were presented as central priorities of Brazil’s agenda for COP30 (COP30 Brasil, 2025).
Therefore, holding COP30 in Belém reinforced Brazil’s leading role in international climate negotiations and placed the Amazon at the center of the global debate. The region gained prominence due to its importance for biodiversity conservation, the development of strategies to combat deforestation, the promotion of the bioeconomy, and the recognition of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. However, the discussions held before and during COP30 also highlighted the limitations of international climate governance. Although ambitious financing targets were announced, uncertainty remains regarding the sources of these resources and the effective commitment of developed countries to their implementation. In addition, the difficulties in advancing issues such as reducing dependence on fossil fuels demonstrate that climate negotiations continue to be strongly influenced by economic and geopolitical interests. In this sense, COP30 represented an important step forward by strengthening the debate on climate finance and increasing the visibility of the Amazon on the international agenda. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these initiatives will depend on the ability of countries to transform their commitments into concrete action, ensuring that the promised resources are effectively mobilized and directed toward the implementation of climate goals.
References
BRASIL. Presidência da COP30. COP30 Brasil: Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima. Brasília: Governo Federal, 2025. Available at: https://cop30.br/pt-br. Accessed: June 6, 2026.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC). Report of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement on its sixth session, held in Baku. Bonn: UNFCCC, 2024.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC). Report on the Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T. Bonn: UNFCCC, 2025. Available at: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Relatorio_Roadmap_COP29_COP30_EN_final.pdf. Accessed: June 6, 2026.
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC). COP30 Presidency releases executive report and outlines next steps to accelerate global climate action. Bonn: UNFCCC, 2025. Available at: https://unfccc.int/news/cop30-presidency-releases-executive-report-and-outlines-next-steps-to-accelerate-global-climate. Accessed: June 6, 2026.
