By Mayara Subtil*
The presentation on Tuesday (3) of the two roadmaps—one on ending deforestation and the other on the transition away from fossil fuels —keeps essential topics for combating the effects of climate change at the forefront of the discussion. According to André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute) and special envoy to COP30, despite economic differences and the interests at stake, it is essential that countries continue to discuss solutions to these issues. The initiative allows discussions to move forward even without the consensus needed to include these topics in the formal decisions in Belém.
“The roadmaps have kept alive two fundamental debates for tackling climate change: ending deforestation and the transition away from fossil fuels. These are issues that involve economic interests and differences among countries, but they cannot be set aside. Without making progress in these discussions, we will not be able to advance the climate agenda,” said Guimarães.
The first roadmap contains proposals to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, with measures to expand financing, strengthen conservation, and facilitate access to resources for indigenous peoples and traditional communities.
The second roadmap, meanwhile, outlines alternatives to reduce dependence on oil, gas, and coal, taking into account the economic and energy differences among countries. The documents aim to transform existing climate commitments into concrete policies, investments, and actions, while respecting different national realities.
Both are voluntary in nature and do not establish new obligations for countries. The roadmaps will be presented during COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, on November 9 and 10. The first meeting will be dedicated to the roadmap to combat deforestation, while the second will address the transition away from fossil fuels.
The two roadmaps were announced during COP30 in Belém, following disagreements among the Convention’s signatory nations over whether to include progress on deforestation and fossil fuels in formal decisions. The proposal is to bring together measures that can be adopted by governments, expand international cooperation, and identify the resources needed to accelerate the implementation of existing agreements
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“Countries have already reached a consensus on what needs to be done. Now, we need tools to accelerate the implementation of these commitments, because climate change is advancing much faster than international negotiations,” said André Corrêa do Lago, president of COP30.
In the case of forests, the deadline for achieving the global target is drawing ever closer. Data from the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), cited in the roadmap, show that global deforestation fell from an average of 17.6 million hectares per year, between 1990 and 2000, to 10.9 million hectares per year between 2015 and 2025. Despite this reduction, tropical forests—which account for about 45% of the planet’s forest area—account for 88% of the cumulative deforestation between 1990 and 2025.
With four years remaining until 2030, the document notes that protecting forests depends on measures that go beyond enforcement. Among the priorities are expanding financing, guaranteeing territorial rights, strengthening monitoring, and encouraging economic activities that keep vegetation standing, such as the bioeconomy, sustainable management, and agroforestry systems.
One of the proposals is to facilitate the flow of resources to indigenous peoples and traditional communities, who still receive only a limited portion of international funding directly. The roadmap also suggests mechanisms to provide upfront funding for conservation projects, since many initiatives need to finance enforcement, monitoring, and territorial management activities before they can demonstrate the results achieved.
In 2023, international public financing for forests totaled approximately $2.9 billion, of which $1.7 billion was directed to tropical countries and regions. To address this gap, the document presents alternatives such as strengthening carbon markets, debt-linked financial instruments, and payment-for-conservation mechanisms. Among the initiatives mentioned is the TFFF (Tropical Forests Forever Fund), launched at COP30, to compensate countries for maintaining their tropical forests.
The roadmap also draws attention to forest degradation, which occurs when vegetation remains standing but loses some of its environmental functions due to fires, improper logging, and other pressures. In addition to improving monitoring, the proposal aims to expand cooperation among countries to combat environmental crimes, strengthen the protection of existing forests, and restore degraded areas. The document emphasizes that restoration is necessary but does not replace the conservation of forests that remain intact.
Transition Away from Fossil Fuels
The second roadmap presents alternatives to accelerate the reduction in the use of oil, gas, and coal, which account for approximately 73% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to data compiled in the document. The proposal builds on the commitment made at COP28 in Dubai to carry out a just, orderly, and equitable energy transition, taking into account each country’s development conditions and needs.
One of the main new features is the so-called BelémReadiness Approach, a methodology that proposes a kind of assessment of countries’ energy situations. Based on three dimensions—energy consumption, energy supply, and economic structure—each government will be able to identify its dependence on fossil fuels, the obstacles to replacing them, and the opportunities to advance the transition.
In practice, the methodology recognizes that oil-producing countries face different challenges than those that depend on fuel imports or already have a higher share of renewable sources. The idea is not to rank governments but to help them set priorities and identify where investments, technology, and international cooperation are needed.
Among the measures presented are the expansion of renewable energy, the electrification of transportation, the modernization of power grids, increased energy efficiency, and the reduction of methane emissions. The roadmap also addresses the need to review inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and protect workers and communities that depend economically on these activities.
The document highlights that the transition is already underway but still faces obstacles. In 2025, renewable sources accounted for more than 85% of new installed electricity generation capacity worldwide. At the same time, approximately 655 million people still live without access to electricity, underscoring the need to balance emissions reductions with energy security and expanded access to energy.
The proposal also seeks to build on existing international initiatives, such as Belém 4X—supported by 32 countries—which aims to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035. Financing and technological cooperation are identified as prerequisites for scaling up these measures, particularly in developing countries.
The two roadmaps do not set additional targets or specify how much each country should invest or reduce its emissions. Their implementation will depend on government decisions and the ability to mobilize resources.
Read the full documents (in English):
*Communications analyst. mayara.barbosa@ipam.org.br