DTi directors Shaun and Sven at the entrance to the Blue Zone, COP30
We travelled all the way from Cape Town, South Africa, through the Amazon by bus, boat, and bicycle, inspired by the possibility that this COP could be a turning point for nature and the future. Unfortunately, we were left feeling deeply disappointed. Despite this, our resolve to slow the slide into climate chaos remains unshaken.
Brazil, the country that set the COP process in motion at the Earth Summit in 1992, hoped to breathe new life into it. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had raised our hopes by referring to this 30th iteration as the “Forest COP”, and COP president André Corrêa do Lago stressed during the Pre-COP that this would be the “COP of implementation”.
For years we have urged fellow activists and climate-concerned citizens not to lose hope in the UN’s COP process, our best chance at solving our shared climate challenge. Now, we’re not so sure.
Without accreditation, many attendees couldn’t enter the Blue Zone, where the official decisions were made. The public could visit the Green Zone, which had many booths, talks, and Indigenous People painting faces and arms. Navigating this crowded area was confusing because of poor signage, and even volunteers struggled to help. Other areas around the city that we managed to visit included the Free Zone and the People’s Summit. We also found an exhibition honouring legendary activist Chico Mendes, who fought to preserve the Amazon rainforest, and for the rights of Brazilian peasants and Indigenous People.
Having cycled to the conference, our bikes took us most places. They were not always welcomed at official venues, until bicycle-racks were eventually supplied after some cyclists complained to the municipality. This highlighted the gap between talk and action. Diesel generators were also noisily powering the conference, with no sign of solar panels.
The TFFF (Tropical Forests Forever Facility), launched by president Lula at the Leader’s Summit prior to the start of the COP, endorsed by 53 countries, attracted around $6B of its $25B initial target. It aims to reduce deforestation using market mechanisms, but will not stop deforestation.
A positive initiative was the “Declaration of Information Integrity on Climate Change”, which had the support of 13 countries by only the third day of the conference.
After such a promising start, it was back to business-as-usual with fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbering most delegations. A peaceful protest by Indigenous People blocked entry to the Blue Zone, showing their frustration at being excluded from decision-making that affects them and the forest they depend on. Only that and an unexpected fire, briefly shifted the focus away from keyboard diplomacy.
Finally, after exhausting extended negotiations, delegates reluctantly agreed on the “Belém Package”, which retained some faith in international cooperation. However, the final document didn’t include calls to transition away from fossil fuels or to end deforestation. In response, the COP president said he would create two roadmaps: one to stop and reverse deforestation, the other to move away from fossil fuels in a fair and orderly manner.
Colombia took a bold step, proposing a meeting separate from the UN, to lay the groundwork for a just transition away from fossil fuels. What then of the deforestation roadmap?
We intend to support the COP presidency with our proposal for a Deforestation Treaty.