Fourth Letter from the Brazilian Presidency
published on Jun 20, 2025 at 04:00 - Modified an hour ago
June 20, 2025
Dear friends,
In my fourth letter to the international community, the Brazilian Presidency of the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reaffirms its commitment to driving forward our Global Action against climate change with an appeal not only to the Parties to the UNFCCC, but also to all those willing to act decisively in the face of the climate emergency, through an ambitious and integrated Action Agenda at COP30.
In May 2024, when historic floods devastated Rio Grande do Sul, the waters made the boundaries between streets and rivers disappear, but not the determination of the people . People responded collectively, in a chain of collective efforts that defied the chaos brought by the storm. Men, women, young people, civil servants from all levels of government, entrepreneurs — they all volunteered, using their different skills and efforts, using public institutions, services, infrastructure and technology to respond quickly, helping everyone, especially the most vulnerable. When the water finally receded, it left behind more than mud and ruins. The alchemy of solidarity became the basis on which people began to rebuild what the water took. They learned then that true value lay in the power of unity, more than in individual strength.
Building on the legacy of COP20 (Lima 2014), the international community recognized ten years ago at COP21 that the transformation needed to combat climate change requires actions, solutions and partnerships from across society, far beyond national governments. The Paris Agreement then marked a new era in the collective response to climate change, while inaugurating a collective and coordinated Global Climate Action Agenda to involve all sectors of the economy, all segments of society and all levels of government, towards multilateral climate goals.
Over the past decade, we have witnessed exponential growth in engagement, initiatives, and innovations from a wide range of stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors. We should celebrate and applaud those who have helped innovate and lead these efforts. As I have noted in my previous letters, despite the remarkable achievements and progress, we are still off track to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. To correct course, the world needs to exponentially increase the scale and speed of these efforts to meet the commitments we have made.
The COP30 Presidency is working to ensure that the Action Agenda, together with all other dimensions of COP30, contributes to delivering on what we have collectively agreed to so far. By strengthening multilateralism, connecting the UNFCCC to people’s lives and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the COP30 Action Agenda will strive to address three major challenges: (i) Aligning the Action Agenda with what we have already collectively agreed under successive UNFCCC COPs and the Paris Agreement; (ii) Leveraging existing initiatives to accelerate and scale up climate implementation; and (iii) Boosting transparency, monitoring and enforcement of existing and new commitments and initiatives .
To address these challenges, the COP30 Presidency has designed an Action Agenda that builds on previous ones, honoring the invaluable legacy already built, while at the same time turning its scope to the future: rather than simply complementing the negotiations, the Action Agenda must actively implement the agreed commitments, with a focus on the First Global Stocktake (GST) of the Paris Agreement.
The GST: Our Global NDC
The first Global Stocktake (GST) is our compass for Mission 1.5. It guides our collective efforts to pursue the goals of the Paris Agreement, in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. The Action Agenda should create collective momentum for the full implementation of the GST. It should mobilize all stakeholders to work alongside governments on global causes, such as halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. It should also support the acceleration of the energy transition worldwide, including tripling global renewable energy capacity, doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, and transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a fair, orderly and equitable manner.
It is important to recall that while the GST reaffirmed governments’ commitment to multilateralism, it also highlighted the invaluable contribution of other stakeholders—particularly civil society, businesses, financial institutions, cities and subnational authorities, indigenous peoples, local communities, youth, and research institutions—in supporting governments and contributing to collective and meaningful progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement; in building responses to the already existing effects of climate change; and in raising ambition—including through synergies with other intergovernmental processes. The GST also welcomes ongoing international cooperation efforts and voluntary initiatives to enhance climate action by governmental and non-governmental actors through the sharing of information, best practices, experiences, lessons learned, resources, and solutions. Finally, it urges all stakeholders to join forces in seeking results through inclusive, cooperative, multi-tiered, and gender-sensitive actions.
The COP30 Presidency invites all stakeholders, government and non-government, to work together towards the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the GST, not only through countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and international cooperation, but also through voluntary commitments under the Action Agenda. Our aim is to bring new momentum to global climate action by aligning the efforts of business, civil society and all levels of government into a coordinated effort – a global drive towards the realization of the GST as a “Global NDC” or rather a “GDC” – the world’s “globally determined contribution” . Like the constellation of the Southern Cross, the GST should be positioned as the global guiding compass to enhance our multilateral ambition, our joint action and our collective assessment of progress across the five pillars of the UNFCCC: mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building.
The GST enables global alignment on climate action and ambition, while helping to increase transparency and consistency of climate initiatives around the world. Using the GST as a framework, we can transform climate action from a cacophony to a well-orchestrated symphony—where multilateral negotiations set the tone, and NDCs and the Action Agenda provide the instruments.
One Agenda, Six Axes
To support the full implementation of the GST, the COP30 Action Agenda will be shaped as a “solutions barn”—a repository of concrete initiatives that connect climate ambition with development opportunities in investment, innovation, finance, technology, and capacity building. Guided by the tenor of the GST, the COP30 Presidency proposes that the Action Agenda be organized into six thematic axes covering mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation: (i) Transition in the Energy, Industry, and Transport Sectors; (ii) Sustainable Management of Forests, Oceans, and Biodiversity; (iii) Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems; (iv) Building Resilience in Cities, Infrastructure, and Water; (v) Promoting Human and Social Development; and finally, the cross-cutting axis, (vi) Catalysts and Accelerators, including Finance, Technology, and Capacity Building .
This framework brings a unique approach, based on GST, to promote systemic transformation and broad participation. Thus, solutions offered to contribute to the implementation of GST must be concrete, ambitious, designed to generate global impact, based on the best available science and founded on the synergies between climate action and sustainable development.
The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reveals that “approaches [to climate action] that align objectives and actions across sectors create opportunities for large-scale, multiple benefits while avoiding short-term negative effects.” According to the report, cross-sectoral climate action increases cascading co-benefits across sectors; avoids isolated and fragmented approaches with limited systemic impact; and promotes effective interconnections between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
Fighting hunger and promoting food security, for example, are a key enabler of resilience and a long-term objective under Article 2.1(b) of the Paris Agreement. One example of a concrete initiative designed to address climate-related food security challenges is the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, launched in Rio de Janeiro in 2024 under the Brazilian Presidency of the G20. The Alliance offers a portfolio of proven solutions that integrate social protection, food security, climate-resilient smallholder farming and sustainable livelihoods, demonstrating how climate action can deliver broad and replicable benefits across multiple dimensions of sustainable development.
Implementation of initiatives under the Action Agenda must be designed with flexibility and adaptability to different geographic, economic and social contexts. The multifaceted nature of the climate challenge requires that innovative solutions be adapted to regional, national and local circumstances, in order to benefit more communities and countries. Our intention is to demonstrate a set of actions that are replicable and can be scaled up at different levels, within a framework that combines specific solutions with a coherent process for monitoring global progress.
It is particularly important to highlight that initiatives under the COP30 Action Agenda must be guided by the ethical and scientific imperatives of a just transition and equity . They must address the structural inequalities that exacerbate the vulnerability of specific groups, countries and regions to the climate crisis. A balanced distribution of the costs and benefits involved in the transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies will enable us to build a more just, inclusive and secure future.
A Solutions-Based Agenda to Accelerate Action
It is time to work together towards a solutions-oriented Global Climate Action Agenda that is up to the challenges ahead. The proposed architecture for the COP30 Action Agenda provides a more streamlined and integrated framework that brings together the efforts of COP Presidencies, High-Level Champions, governments and other stakeholders into a coherent and robust “globally determined contribution” to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement worldwide. It should create the space for all stakeholders to connect and work in unison, regularly taking stock of progress made.
The COP30 Presidency also aims to highlight a number of solutions that can make a unique contribution to accelerating climate action across the six proposed axes. The thirty key goals identified under these six axes reflect the breadth and depth of action needed to implement the outcomes of the GST and the Paris Agreement quickly, everywhere and for everyone. These goals were chosen to highlight promising “super-leverage points” where accelerated implementation, enhanced cooperation and targeted support can drive systemic transformation. They also include areas where Brazil’s experience can contribute concrete solutions. We invite other countries, regions, cities, companies, investors and communities to join the Action Agenda effort and contribute what they can to the global climate fight.
The 30 key objectives for COP30 are as follows:
I. Transition in the energy, industry and transport sectors: (1) tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency; (2) accelerating zero and low-emission technologies in hard-to-decarbonise sectors; (3) ensuring universal access to energy; and (4) transitioning away from fossil fuels in a fair, orderly and equitable manner.
II. Sustainable management of forests, oceans and biodiversity: (5) investments to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation; (6) efforts to conserve, protect and restore nature and ecosystems with solutions to climate, biodiversity and desertification; and (7) efforts to preserve and restore oceans and coastal ecosystems.
III. Transformation of Agriculture and food systems: (8) restoration of degraded areas and sustainable agriculture; (9) more resilient, adapted and sustainable food systems; and (10) equitable access to adequate food and nutrition for all.
IV. Building resilience in cities, infrastructure and water: (11) multi-level governance; (12) sustainable and resilient buildings and construction; (13) resilient urban development, mobility and infrastructure; (14) water management; and (15) solid waste management.
V. Promotion of human and social development: (16) promotion of resilient health services; (17) reduction of the effects of climate change in the eradication of hunger and poverty; (18) education, training and job creation to address climate change; (19) culture, cultural heritage and climate action.
VI. Cross-Cutting Objectives – Catalysts and accelerators, including finance, technology and capacity building: (20) climate and sustainable finance, with systematic climate integration into investments and insurance; (21) adaptation finance; (22) climate-integrated government procurement; (23) harmonization of carbon markets and carbon accounting standards; (24) climate and trade; (25) reduction of non-CO2 gases; (26) governance, state capacity and institutional strengthening for climate action, planning and preparedness; (27) artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and digital technologies; (28) innovation, climate entrepreneurship and micro and small enterprises; (29) bioeconomy and biotechnology; (30) information integrity on climate issues.
Mobilization for Action, Collective Construction of the Future
The COP30 Presidency believes that these key goals provide a structured and inclusive framework that will enable collective action to be mobilized. We invite all initiatives and coalitions created at previous COPs, which bring together thousands of subnational governments, businesses, investors, NGOs and communities, to accelerate implementation in these areas and present their solutions. We will soon invite them to join the Activation Groups for each key goal and shape the outcomes of COP30 with us.
The COP30 Presidency will work hand in hand with the High-Level Champions on the Action Agenda. Dan Ioschpe and Nigar Arpadarai will soon publish the work programme of the Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action, further detailing our plans. We will also count on the support and leadership of the Youth Champion, the COP30 Special Envoys and the Circles announced in my second letter, to mobilize governments, societies and economic actors to implement solutions, monitor their progress and ensure that no one is left behind. Only with everyone’s engagement can we mobilize the action needed to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We urge all actors to focus on following up and implementing existing initiatives, commitments and declarations.
With our eyes on the horizon, we hope that the proposed new architecture for the Action Agenda can guide the future of global climate action. The Presidency will hold a comprehensive consultation with governments and stakeholders, led by the two high-level champions from COP29 and COP30, to define a clear vision and roadmap for the next five years of the Action Agenda. We will welcome input and ideas to help shape a solutions-oriented Action Agenda focused on the full implementation of the GST.
We invite everyone to actively participate in both the construction of the new agenda and in laying the foundations for this critical decade of exponential climate progress. We must respond decisively, through an ambitious, integrated and solutions-oriented Action Agenda that is commensurate with the urgency and magnitude of climate change. By following the science and accelerating action, we will demonstrate that we can work together to achieve shared goals and fully implement the GST, our “globally determined contribution”.
May COP30 be the moment we usher in a new era in which collective action becomes our most lasting climate solution. The time to rally for the Action Agenda is now.
André Aranha Corrêa do Lago
President-Designate of COP30
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