Brazil Hosts Unconventional COP30 Summit Focused on Climate Action, Not Just Goals

The 2025 COP30 climate summit, taking place in Belém, Brazil, is shaping up to be an unconventional event. With over 50,000 people descending on the small Amazon city, the Brazilian hosts have had to get creative in accommodating the massive influx, using shipping containers, cruise ships, and even army barracks as temporary housing.

But the real innovation is in Brazil's approach to the summit itself. Rather than the typical format of setting new goals and debating responsibilities, the Brazilian government is determined to make COP30 about "implementation" - taking concrete steps to achieve the climate targets already in place. They are drawing on the Brazilian concept of "mutirão", an Indigenous practice of community cooperation, to foster collaboration among the 195 countries attending.

Brazil has recruited a wide network of diplomats, community leaders, and experts to serve as COP30 envoys and ambassadors, including a "circle" of previous COP presidents. The goal is to build connections and climate action networks, rather than just negotiating text. Brazil is also pushing for a greater role for Indigenous communities and other marginalized groups, through an initiative called the Global Ethical Stocktake.

While some are concerned about Brazil's decision to forgo the usual "cover decision" that summarizes the summit's outcomes, the hosts believe their innovative agenda will lead to more meaningful progress. As COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago says, "By sharing this invaluable ancestral wisdom and social technology, the incoming COP30 presidency invites the international community to join Brazil in a global mutirão against climate change."