Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago chosen as president of COP30

André Corrêa do Lago in a meeting with President Lula, ministers Marina Silva (Environment), Maria Laura da Rocha (substitute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Minister Rui Costa (Chief of Staff). Image: Ricardo Stuckert / PR

The Announcement came Tuesday, following a meeting at Planalto Palace between President Lula and authorities involved in organizing the UN Conference on Climate Change, to be held in November in Belém (taken from the Brasilian Government website here.

he president of the main international event to be held in Brasil in 2025 — the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30) in Belém, in November — has just been named: Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, current secretary of Climate, Energy and Environment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [Ministério das Relações Exteriores/MRE].

It is an immense honor, and I believe that Brasil can play an incredible role in this COP. We will have to build it together. The government, civil society, businesses, all are essential stakeholders in the initial conformation of what Brasil wants from this COP. Together we will be able to create a COP that will be remembered with great enthusiasm” -  André Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30

The name was announced on Tuesday, January 21, following a meeting at Planalto Palace between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and ministers Rui Costa (Chief of Staff), Marina Silva (Environment), Sidônio Palmeira (Secom), Maria Laura da Rocha (substitute for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), as well as Miriam Belchior (Executive Secretary at the Office of Chief of Staff) and Celso Amorim (Chief Advisor to the Special Advisory Office of the President of the Republic).

“It is an immense honor, and I believe that Brasil can play an incredible role in this COP. We will have to build it together. The government, civil society, businesses, all are essential stakeholders in the initial conformation of what Brasil wants from this COP. Together we will be able to create a COP that will be remembered with great enthusiasm,” said Corrêa do Lago.

The National Secretary for Climate Change at the Ministry of the Environment [Ministério do Meio Ambiente/MMA], Ana Toni, was appointed as executive director of COP30.

"The Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hold these two positions, which are crucial and strategic in terms of content, negotiation and leadership of the entire COP process," said Minister Marina Silva.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "the appointment of Ambassador Corrêa do Lago — an experienced climate regime negotiator — reflects Brasil's commitment to the global sustainable development agenda and reinforces the country's leadership in international climate negotiations."

PROFILE — André Corrêa do Lago holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 1981]  and began his diplomatic career in 1982. He has worked in the fields of international organizations, trade promotion, ceremonial and energy — having served at the embassies in Madrid, Prague, Washington, and Buenos Aires and in the Mission to the European Union in Brussels. The president of COP30 has been working on sustainable development issues since 2001. He was director of the Department of Energy (2008-2011) and of the Department of Environment (2011-2013) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; during the latter, he was Brasil's chief negotiator for climate change (2011-2013) and for Rio+20 (2011-2012). He was ambassador to Japan (2013-2018), India (2018-2023) and, cumulatively, to Bhutan (2019-2023). Since March 2023, he has been Secretary of Climate, Energy and Environment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Corrêa do Lago has published books and articles on sustainable development and climate change, and is also an architecture critic. He is married and has four children.

CEO — An economist with a PhD in Political Science, Ana Toni’s long career has been focused on promoting projects and public policies addressing social justice, the environment, and climate change. She was Executive Director of the Institute for Climate and Society [Instituto Clima e Sociedade/iCS, 2015-2022], president of the Board of Greenpeace International (2010 to 2017), director of the Ford Foundation in Brasil (2003-2011) and of ActionAid Brasil (1998-2002). She was an advisor to the Gold Standard Group, Baobá Fund for Racial Equity [Fundo Baobá para Equidade Racial], Light and Vibra Energia, and the Amazon Environmental Research Institute [Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia/IPAM], among others. She is a member of the Network of Brazilian Women Leaders for Sustainability [Rede de Mulheres Brasileiras Líderes pela Sustentabilidade].

COP30 — The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (Conference of the Parties), better known as COP 30, is an annual global meeting where world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organizations and civil society representatives discuss actions to combat climate change. It is considered one of the world’s main events to address this topic.

OPPORTUNITY — COP30 represents a historic opportunity for Brasil to reaffirm its leadership in negotiations on climate change and global sustainability. The event will allow the country to showcase its efforts in fields such as renewable energy, biofuels and low-carbon agriculture, and reiterate its historic role in multilateral processes such as Eco-92 and Rio+20. The event will be attended by heads of State, ministers, diplomats, UN representatives, scientists, business leaders, NGOs, activists, and other members of civil society from more than 190 countries.

CHALLENGES — Key challenges at COP30 include aligning commitments from developed and developing countries on climate finance, ensuring that emission reduction targets are compatible with climate science, and addressing the socioeconomic impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.

INFRASTRUCTURE — In December 2024, the Federal Government and the City of Belém delivered the revitalization of the São Brás Market, the first infrastructure project for COP30. In total, federal investments are estimated at BRL 4.7 billion, including resources from the Federal Budget, BNDES, and Itaipu Binacional, and involve renovation of essential facilities, improvements to the hotel network, and professional training.

TOURISM — Belém is preparing to welcome over 40,000 people because of COP30, according to estimates by the Getúlio Vargas Foundation [Fundação Getúlio Vargas/FGV]. Even before the event, data from the Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion [Agência Brasileira de Promoção Internacional do Turismo/Embratur] reveals an increase in demand for Belém as an international destination. A comparison between January-November 2023 (before the announcement of the COP30 venue) and January-November 2024 indicates a growth of over 59% in arrivals by air to the capital of Pará. There were 18,655 arrivals in those 11 months in 2023, compared to 29,685 in 2024.

LEADERSHIP — From Davos, Switzerland, where he is participating in the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF), the governor of Pará Helder Barbalho stated on Tuesday (21/01) that COP30 represents the chance for Brasil to lead the planet's climate agenda. "We will for the first time see the biggest moment of environmental discussion taking place in the Amazon Rainforest, the largest tropical forest in the world. This is certainly an incredible opportunity that the United Nations is offering the planet, while at the same time allowing Brazil to lead this moment and this agenda," stated Barbalho, who chairs the Interstate Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Legal Amazon [Consórcio Interestadual de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Amazônia Legal/CAL].

Read Izabella Teixeira, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, and Luiz de Andrade Filho chapter on Maria Luiza Viotti: A believer in multilateralism and the power of collective ideas: The Rio+20 Conference