Brazil is calling for a global task force against climate change, a worldwide cooperation effort among nations for the progress of humanity. This call to action is outlined in the First COP30 Presidency Letter, released during a press conference on Monday (10) in Brasília. In a 10-page document, COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, emphasizes that the realization of climate risks long forewarned by science places us at a moment of great responsibility: it is time to turn the tide.
Corrêa do Lago’s call is not directed only at the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) but at the global society as a whole—including stakeholders beyond the UNFCCC, such as financial institutions, subnational governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the technology sector. In its COP30 Presidency, Brazil aims to create a movement that extends beyond the conference in November in Belém, generating turning points in the five pillars of the convention: financing, mitigation, adaptation, technology, and capacity building.
The COP30 Presidency intends to release at least one letter per month to set the pace for negotiation and action agendas leading up to Belém. The First Letter outlines the following key priorities:
1. Climate Finance
- Baku-to-Belém Roadmap for $1.3 Trillion: The COP30 Presidency will collaborate with COP29 to produce a detailed report on progress in implementing the goal of mobilizing $1.3 trillion per year by 2035 for developing countries. The aim is to structure financial mechanisms to scale up both public and private climate financing.
- Reforming the international financial system: The COP30 Presidency will push Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to make climate finance larger, more effective, and more accessible. It will work to reduce structural barriers for developing countries, including high capital costs, limited fiscal space, unsustainable debt, and high transaction costs.
- Implementation of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG): The Presidency will advance what was established in the “Baku Climate Unity Pact.”
2. NDCs and Climate Ambition
- COP30 Synthesis Report on NDCs, focusing on:
- Quality and alignment with 1.5°C
- Collective reflection on bottlenecks hindering implementation and ambition
- Pushing for greater ambition: Countries should submit new, more ambitious NDCs before COP30. The Presidency aims to ensure that 1.5°C remains the benchmark for political and economic decisions.
- Coordination with the UN Secretary-General: Political mobilization to raise ambition and combat climate misinformation.
3. Adaptation and Resilience
- Prioritizing adaptation: The Presidency seeks equal priority for adaptation and mitigation by engaging governments, the private sector, and civil society.
- Implementing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): Developing indicators to measure progress as part of the UAE-Belém Work Program.
- Advancing the Baku Adaptation Roadmap and the Santiago Network.
- Implementing loss and damage measures.
- Discussing dedicated financial mechanisms for adaptation.
4. Technology and Capacity Building
- Launching the Technology Implementation Program: A formal agreement is expected at COP30 to strengthen the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism.
- Focus on technology transfer to developing countries.
- Enhancing transparency and capacity building: A workshop at SBI62 (June 2025) to support developing countries in preparing their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).
- Developing a digital platform to connect governments and investors in mitigation and adaptation projects.
5. Energy Transition and Mitigation
- Implementation of the Global Stocktake (GST): COP30 will serve as a platform to translate GST decisions into concrete actions, including:
- Tripling global renewable energy capacity
- Doubling the global energy efficiency rate
- Reducing fossil fuel use in a just, orderly, and equitable transition
- Strengthening the Mitigation Work Program (MWP): Creating a digital platform to facilitate investments and accelerate mitigation project implementation.
6. Loss and Damage
- Loss and Damage Fund: COP30 will continue the work initiated at COP28 and further developed at COP29.
- Discussions on operationalizing and scaling up funding to compensate for irreversible climate impacts.
7. Climate Governance Reform and Multilateralism
- Presidency Circle: Formation of a group with COP presidencies from Paris (COP21) to Baku (COP29) to ensure continuity and implementation of commitments.
- Integration with the presidencies of the Biodiversity (CBD) and Desertification (UNCCD) conventions to strengthen synergies.
- Indigenous Leadership Circle: Incorporating traditional knowledge into global mitigation and adaptation strategies.
- The COP of Implementation, not just Negotiation: Focus on turning agreements into action.
- Encouraging a reform of UNFCCC climate governance to make it more efficient and responsive.
8. Synergy with Other Global Agendas
- Integration with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Connecting climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development, reinforcing the link between the Paris Agreement and the biodiversity and desertification conventions.
- Launching the “United for Our Forests” initiative, highlighting the role of forests in global climate action.
9. Mobilization of Non-State Actors
- Engagement with civil society, the private sector, and subnational governments.
- Invitation for active participation in the “global task force” against the climate crisis.
- Partnerships with experts and academics to develop innovative climate solutions.
This First COP30 Presidency Letter sets the foundation for an ambitious and action-driven conference. Brazil’s leadership aims to build momentum beyond November, ensuring that climate ambition translates into real, measurable progress.
