Marina Silva: "Our role goes beyond negotiations: we are guardians of natural resources for planetary balance"

The COP30 in Belém will be a watershed moment in reaffirming Brazil's commitment to the climate agenda, highlighting the country as a key symbol in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity and promote a just energy transition based on social justice and sustainability.

The COP30 will be a watershed moment in reaffirming Brazil's commitment to the climate agenda, highlighting the country as a key symbol in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity and promote a just energy transition based on social justice and sustainability”

Marina Silva, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change

Brazil’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, pointed out in an interview that Brazil is consolidating its position as a leader in the negotiations and that the country has used its extensive diplomatic capacity to build consensus and push forward an ambitious climate agenda that reflects the needs of developing countries. The minister also reflected on Brazil's strategic role in consolidating measures that overcome geopolitical barriers and manage to promote innovative partnerships for the country.

» COP30: Brazil acts to consolidate its leading role and diplomatic capacity 

According to Marina Silva, holding the Conference in the heart of the Amazon will be an opportunity to turn speeches into concrete actions, leading by example and inspiring change on a global scale. "I hope that Brazilians understand that our role goes beyond negotiations: we are guardians of natural resources that are essential for planetary balance and, at the same time, a nation that needs to resolve internal challenges in a way that is integrated with the global fight against climate change."

Check out the main points of the interview: 

IMPORTANCE OF COP30 — The COP30 will be a watershed moment in reaffirming Brazil's commitment to the climate agenda, highlighting the country as a key symbol in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and promote a just energy transition based on social justice and sustainability. The fact that COP30 will be held in Belém, in the Amazon Region, strengthens Brazil's weight on the international scene while also reaffirming the value of the forest and its Indigenous peoples. This also poses a challenge: demonstrating that COP30 will not be a COP for Brazil or the Amazon, but rather a COP for the successful execution of the battle against climate change. The COP will be conducted in the midst of a catastrophic worldwide environmental catastrophe, in which life has become more uncertain than ever before. That is why, to mention the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, it will be the COP of "implementing is necessary".

CHALLENGES — Brazil intends to strategize on at least two fronts in preparation for COP30 in 2025: NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) diplomacy and general mobilization. In terms of NDC diplomacy, the next few months will be critical in strengthening multilateralism, building trust between parties, and ensuring that the Belém commitments reflect the urgency of the climate crisis. This includes countries developing ambitious NDCs aligned with Mission 1.5; mobilizing financial resources; aligning national and regional policies with the Paris Agreement objectives; and ensuring that the voices of populations, particularly the most vulnerable, are heard and considered in decision-making processes.

GENERAL MOBILIZATION — One of the main strategies is to conduct a Global Ethical Balance (BEG), which is intended to encourage reflection on everyone's ethical commitment to addressing climate change. It will be developed in collaboration with a geographically diverse and relevant group of thinkers, artists, philosophers, scientists, young people, politicians, religious leaders, indigenous and traditional communities, and other civil society representatives. The goal is to think about climate action through the lens of justice, equity, and solidarity.

DIALOGUE — We are actively promoting international dialogue, seeking convergence between developing countries' demands and developed countries' responsibilities. Brazil plays a unique role as a bridge between the Global North and South, and it is dedicated to leading with ethics, commitment, and a future vision that prioritizes life and planetary balance. Brazil's G20 Presidency in 2024 reaffirmed these characteristics, working alongside multilateral organizations and with complete respect for national autonomy.

PROGRESS — In a single year, we can make progress on three fronts. First, establishing a clearer and more binding path to achieving the USD 1.3 trillion per year required to finance the climate transition. Second, speeding up the process of updating the NDCs with more robust targets. Third, strengthening international cooperation mechanisms that promote greater transparency and accountability in commitments made.

EXPECTATIONS — COP30 will cement Brazil's position as a leader in the global climate agenda. The consequences of COP29 challenge the country to organize a more ambitious conference with a focus on results. This requires setting an example and promoting regional and global coordination so that, in Belém, we can take a historic step toward addressing the climate crisis. The good news for the world is that Brazil is committed to this effort and will use its leadership and recognized capacity for dialogue and negotiation to ensure that we leave Belém with more ambitious goals.

RESOURCES — We need to look into creative and collaborative resource mobilization solutions, such as expanding well-regulated carbon markets, fostering long-term public-private partnerships, and promoting innovative financial initiatives that attract private investment. One example is the recently established Investment Platform for Brazil's Climate and Ecological Transformation (BIP), which aims to advance national climate goals. Once operational, the platform will aim to scale and optimize transition investments from all sources to support the government's climate transition plans in key sectors.

TFFF — Another promising alternative is the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF), created under Brazil's leadership at the G20, with the aim of providing financial support for the preservation of tropical forests, which are essential for regulating the global climate. In addition to funding conservation projects, the TFFF has the potential to leverage international resources based on the recognition of the crucial role these ecosystems play in mitigating and adapting to climate change. However, it is critical that these initiatives respect human rights, promote social inclusion, and adhere to the principle of equity, ensuring that benefits are distributed evenly and that local communities play an active role in this transition.

ADEQUATE FINANCING — Without adequate funding, the actions required to mitigate and adapt to climate impacts are compromised, especially for the most vulnerable countries, which lack the necessary resources to invest in infrastructure, technology, and public policies that meet the needs of their societies. COP30 in Brazil will be an opportunity to redouble our efforts to ensure that the promises made are not just rhetoric. In other words, the agreement sealed in Baku translates into climate justice and real support for those who need it most. Although it recognized the need to raise resources from 100 billion dollars to 1.3 trillion dollars a year and reaffirmed the commitment to more ambitious targets and resources, the agreement sealed in Baku is still far from enough to meet the needs of developing countries. This undoubtedly increases Brazil's responsibility to lead COP30 in particular, but also that of the whole world and its main leaders. It will be necessary to dedicate the next few months to intense dialog and to building trust so that we can arrive in Belém at a new level. Without a strong commitment to political realignment and actions that result in concrete results, loss of credibility and mistrust will continue to undermine even the best multilateral efforts.

PARIS AGREEMENT — Geopolitical uncertainty, historical inequalities, and disagreements over financial responsibilities were among the factors that exacerbated the already difficult and complex negotiations. These difficulties have prevented the building of more ambitious consensus within the framework of the commitment established by the Paris Agreement under which developed countries have an obligation to make contributions that help finance mitigation and adaptation actions in developing countries, as well as leverage private resources and in order to ensure a consistent basis for these developing countries, especially the most vulnerable, to promote their transitions and adaptation actions with the urgency that the severity of the climate emergency requires.

TRUST — It is critical that we recognize that unless we realign our commitments and take concrete steps to address the climate crisis, we will always fall short of the mark. Trust between nations remains one of the most difficult challenges in a multilateral process such as this.