COP30 Wouldn't, but We Will!

COP30 took place in Belém, Brazil.

COP30 unfortunately became the climate debacle of the year - and rightly so. Despite the Amazon as its backdrop, the host country’s declared goal of achieving zero deforestation by 2030, and a commendable WWF proposal for a Belém Work Programme on Climate and Nature, the summit failed to raise the ambition needed to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, deliver a credible roadmap to stop forest destruction, or secure the finance required to scale nature-based solutions - even though forests absorb roughly one-third of global CO₂ while receiving less than 1% of climate finance.

Tropical forests are home to around 80% of the world’s biodiversity, and the Amazon alone stores 150-200 billion tonnes of carbon in its soils and biomass. The cost of inaction is therefore not only climatic - but ecological, social and economic.

THE CHEAPEST CLIMATE TOOL WE HAVE

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are our most effective - and cheapest - means of mitigating climate change. They deliver emissions reductions and removals at a fraction of the cost of technological alternatives while strengthening biodiversity, water systems and community resilience.

Protecting standing forests is among the most cost-effective climate actions available: avoided deforestation, forest restoration and agroforestry are at the core of NbS. NbS can deliver up to one-third of the climate mitigation needed by 2030, and many interventions cost less than 10 USD per tonne of CO₂e.

By comparison, technological approaches such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) typically cost 100-600 USD per tonne.

A FEW BRIGHT SPOTS

Despite the overall disappointment, COP30 did bring a few positive outcomes for forests: the commendable Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), which aims to close the forest finance gap and provide predictable, long-term rewards to countries preserving their forests and channelling benefits directly to Indigenous Peoples and local communities; a global commitment to recognise 160 million hectares of Indigenous and community lands by 2030; a renewed USD 1.8 billion pledge for land rights; and Brazil’s advancement of 10 new Indigenous demarcations. These achievements are modest, but they offer an important foundation to build on in the years ahead.

WILDFIRE: THE HIDDEN DRIVER

One important achievement did emerge from COP30: for the first time in thirty COP editions, wildfire took centre stage. The new Call for Action on Integrated Fire Management and Forest Fire Resilience, adopted in Belém and already supported by 61 countries and four international organisations, recognises fire management as a priority for climate adaptation, ecosystem protection and community safety.

Wildfire is now one of the most destructive drivers of deforestation - often closely linked to land clearing for agriculture and the production of animal feed for global markets. Bolivia is a clear example, where expanding agricultural frontiers continue to push into forests and Indigenous territories. Recognising wildfire at this level is crucial, because fire affects every forest solution we rely on - from TFFF and the LEAF coalition to REDD+, PES mechanisms, bioeconomy strategies and restoration.

BUT IF THE COP WON’T ACT – WE WILL

Despite the lack of global leadership, Aktion Amazonas continue working towards building the world’s largest connected network of tropical forests under protection and sustainable management - in close partnership local actors, NGO and Indigenous Peoples, the world’s most effective forest guardians.

The evidence is clear: Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage territories that store nearly one-third of the world’s tropical forest carbon, and the forests on their lands experience far lower deforestation rates than state or privately owned areas.

In the Amazon, Indigenous and traditional communities protect over 30% of all forest areas, and according to WRI, forests in Indigenous territories achieved net removals of around 340 million tonnes of CO₂ per year between 2001 and 2021.

Supporting Indigenous rights and territorial protection is therefore not only important - it is central to global climate stability.

THE POLITICAL FIGHT CONTINUES

Finally, it is important to be clear that part of the drivers of deforestation in South America stem from European - including Danish - consumption patterns, particularly linked to commodities such as soy. Therefore, we will continue to advocate for stronger implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), for global frameworks that reflect the critical importance of forests, for adequate financing of nature-based solutions, and for political decisions that truly empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Fortunately, many actors remain firmly committed to a green transition - and to a future where our children inherit a world with more forest, not less.