By Mayara Subtil*
The implementation of the climate commitments made in Belém is at the heart of the challenges facing COP31, which began this Monday (the 9th) in Antalya, Turkey. Following COP30, Brazil handed over the presidency of the Conference of the Parties to Turkey, which is co-chairing this session with Australia. The transition marks the beginning of a new phase to advance the decisions and goals established in the Amazon.
In his speech marking the handover of the COP presidency, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago emphasized that one of COP30’s priorities was to expand and accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Corrêa do Lago also noted that the Global Action Plan decision , approved in Belém, demonstrated consensus on the need to move in this direction and broaden the participation of different sectors of society.
“The climate agenda is a development agenda, and the transition must not create or exacerbate inequalities. With the Mutirão decision, we have shown very clearly that there is a consensus that we need to move decisively toward implementation,” stated Corrêa do Lago. The ambassador also emphasized that implementation does not depend solely on negotiators but requires the involvement of governments, cities, businesses, universities, research centers, civil society organizations, and communities.
The documents mentioned by André Corrêa do Lago are the roadmaps developed by the Brazilian presidency of COP30 for two central themes of the climate agenda: strengthening efforts to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. The roadmaps were prepared following consultations with various partners and aim to contribute to the implementation of commitments already made by countries.
The roadmap for forests brings together proposals to strengthen conservation policies, expand financing, and support actions capable of reducing pressure on native vegetation. The document also highlights the need to incorporate forest protection into national development plans and to recognize the role of indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation.
The roadmap on fossil fuels, meanwhile, proposes accelerating the energy transition this decade, with measures that take into account the different circumstances of each country and ensure that the process occurs in a fair, orderly, and equitable manner, in line with science.
For André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), the opening of COP31 highlighted international recognition of the work carried out by Brazil during its presidency of the previous summit. At the ceremony marking the handover of the presidency to Turkey and Australia, the speeches by André Corrêa do Lago and Murat Kurum—who assumed the presidency of COP31—highlighted the continuity of the Paris Agreement and the progress made since its adoption.
The shared assessment was that the agreement is working: without it, the world would be heading toward a 4°C temperature rise by the end of the century, while current projections point to 2.6°C. However, they stressed that it is necessary to make further progress and accelerate the implementation of climate commitments.
“As a Brazilian, I am very pleased with my country. We have delivered, and these achievements have been recognized here in every statement. As a Brazilian, I am truly very happy with what we have delivered and built along this journey from Belém to here,” said Guimarães.
The challenge now, according to André, is to build on the legacy established at COP30, especially the roadmaps for ending deforestation and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The endorsement of Brazil’s work at COP30 was also reflected in the continuation of the agenda to implement the decisions made in Belém. During the launch of the roadmap to end deforestation at COP31—which brought together representatives from the COP30 presidency, the Brazilian government, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), as well as other organizations, the initiative received expressions of support from international institutions and forest-rich countries, such as Indonesia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Australia.
Despite this backing, participants emphasized that the roadmap provides a direction and a framework to guide efforts, but its implementation depends on concrete measures taken by each country. The priority, therefore, is to translate the guidelines into action, mobilize investments, and develop and apply new techniques to meet the goal of halting and reversing forest loss by 2030.
Juan Carlos Jintiach, executive secretary of the GATC (Global Alliance of Territorial Communities), emphasized that the roadmap for forests must bring about concrete changes on the ground and bridge the gap between scientific research and the traditional communities living in those territories.
“A roadmap must change what happens on the ground. This is a unique opportunity to transform the relationship between scientists, people living in cities, and those in the territories. We are the answer,” he concluded.
IPAM at COP31
The recognition of forests as global infrastructure and their incorporation into development and climate action strategies will be the focus of an official event hosted by IPAM this Tuesday (the 10th) in the Blue Zone at COP31.
Access IPAM’s agenda for COP31 here.
Titled “From Recognition to Implementation: A Roadmap for Forests as Global Infrastructure,” the meeting will discuss ways to place these ecosystems at the center of global decision-making. The program includes discussions on scientific evidence, governance mechanisms, financing, and international cooperation, with a focus on transforming recognition of the role of forests into concrete conservation measures.
Essential for climate regulation, maintaining water cycles, and food security, forests still face challenges in securing a strategic place in investment decisions and the international financial architecture. The discussion aims to advance this agenda by linking the importance of these ecosystems to the policies and mechanisms needed to ensure their protection.
*Communications analyst. mayara.barbosa@ipam.org.br
