Overview
- Formal talks opened Monday in Belém with roughly 50,000 participants as countries move from the leaders’ segment into negotiations on finance, forests, adaptation and the path away from fossil fuels.
- UN climate chief Simon Stiell cautioned that no nation can afford escalating disaster costs, and the WMO said avoiding a temporary breach of 1.5°C is virtually impossible.
- Brazil launched the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, drawing a $3 billion pledge over 10 years from Norway, signals of support from China, and indications from France and Germany, while the UK withheld a commitment.
- A leadership and funding gap looms with the United States withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and absent from high-level participation at the talks.
- Negotiators are set to battle over an agenda featuring a fossil-fuel transition roadmap, a $1.3 trillion-per-year finance track, overdue 2025–2035 NDCs, and an adaptation package aimed at clearer resilience metrics and finance.