COP30 Opens in Belém as Brazil Unveils $1 Billion Amazon Fund and New Emissions Pledge

Overview

• Brazil launched the Tropical Forests Forever Fund in Belém with a $1 billion national pledge, structuring it as an investment vehicle designed to remunerate countries that keep forests standing.
• The government presented a new Nationally Determined Contribution targeting a 59–67% reduction in emissions and reported that Amazon deforestation has been cut by half over two years.
• Governors and mayors from Brazil and abroad sent a joint declaration committing to territorial solutions, renewable energy and forest protection, a step praised by UN climate envoy Michael Bloomberg.
• COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago issued a public letter calling for accelerated, joint action on adaptation following recent extreme events such as the Paraná tornado, a message reinforced by researchers and UN climate chief Simon Stiell.
• Participation by top leaders is lighter than last year, with 28 heads of state or government attending versus 59 at COP29, as Brazil’s Congress made Belém the temporary capital and advanced climate‑related measures tied to the summit.