On Eve of COP30 in Belém, Implementation Push Sets the Tone

Overview

• COP30 president-designate André Corrêa do Lago released a final letter calling for a cooperative shift from words to action and urging Parties to use Belém to accelerate Paris Agreement delivery, with talks opening on November 10.
• Brazil set the stage with a new NDC to cut emissions 59%–67% by 2035 and the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Fund backed by an initial US$1 billion from the federal government.
• Governors and mayors issued a joint territorial declaration to support national targets through local solutions, with signatories including Helder Barbalho, Igor Normando, Sadiq Khan and Anne Hidalgo, and backing from UN envoy Michael Bloomberg.
• Recent extreme-weather disasters such as the Paraná tornado prompted scientists and COP30 advisers to press for accelerated adaptation, stressing resilient housing, infrastructure and resourcing, with UN climate chief Simon Stiell underscoring the urgency.
• Political headwinds frame the start of negotiations, with reports of lower-than-usual head-of-state participation at the leaders’ summit and warnings from international outlets of potential obstruction by some countries.