The Amazon doesn’t do subtle. As the first week of COP30 wraps in Belém, the message is as palpable as the sweltering, storm-lashed heat: the era of empty promises is over. Inside the negotiating halls, amidst the fine-tuning of a Blue Zone still finding its feet, a single, resounding demand echoes from the Global South: Show us the money.
The consensus is clear—any meaningful outcome from this conference must be built on the bedrock of finance, particularly for adaptation. It’s a plea not for charity, but for justice: to clean up a mess that poorer nations did not make.
The heartbeat of the COP: Indigenous rights and reality checks
If the negotiations are the mind of the COP, its beating heart was found at the gates. In a powerful, peaceful sit-in, Indigenous leaders from the Munduruku people stood as living reminders of the gap between climate rhetoric and on-the-ground reality. Their protest against industrial expansion in their forests, culminating in a hard-won meeting with the COP30 President, was a masterclass in perseverance. It underscored a non-negotiable truth: there can be no solution to the climate crisis without securing Indigenous land rights and heeding their leadership.
And today, that heart beats to a different rhythm—a funeral march. Dressed in black, a coalition from the People’s Summit, Indigenous communities, and the public and private sectors will process through Belém for the “funeral of fossil fuels.” It’s a symbolic, yet deeply serious, spectacle signaling that the world is ready to move on.
Week One: The unscripted push for nature
Despite the absence of the U.S. and China at the highest levels, a defiant spirit of collaboration has emerged. The question “Does multilateralism still work?” is being answered not by the usual suspects, but by a groundswell of governments, businesses, and civil society determined to prove it can.
Key developments are putting nature at the center of the fight:
- A Roadmap to End Deforestation: Momentum is building for a formal ‘Roadmap on Deforestation,’ with ministers from key forest nations set to intervene. Crucially, several parties are pushing for the first explicit references to the role of Indigenous Peoples in safeguarding these vital ecosystems.
- Colombia’s Bold Leadership: In a landmark move, Colombia announced it will designate its entire Amazonian biome—a staggering 42% of its national territory—as a zone free of new oil and large-scale mining. This is a powerful challenge to other Amazon states to join an alliance for the biome’s integrity.
- Financing the Future: The financial wheels are beginning to turn. Brazil’s Treasury unveiled loans at a mere 1% to attract bioeconomy investment, the Dominican Republic was approved to supply carbon credits to the LEAF Coalition, and the new Flora Fund launched with a $10 million goal to scale up restoration in Brazil.
Yet, a stark warning from WWF cut through the optimism: a £9.4 billion shortfall in Amazon protection funding threatens a collapse that could cost Brazil alone £237 billion. In response, a groundbreaking, Indigenous-governed bank was launched in Colombia to ensure finance from carbon credits flows directly to the communities protecting the forest.
What’s Next: The tools for transformation
As the conference takes a breather tomorrow, the work continues. Today, watch for new reports mapping the financial architecture for a Pan-Amazonian bio – economy and a major announcement from the Green Climate Fund. NGOs are also launching a toolkit to help nations integrate sustainable diets into their climate plans, backed by new research showing that shifting from livestock to plant-based agroforestry can double rural incomes.
The final takeaway
COP30 is not a pre-scripted performance. It’s a messy, evolving, and deeply human process. From the stifling meeting rooms that can cool negotiations to the open-air protests that ignite them, this COP is a microcosm of the struggle itself. The first week has laid down the gauntlet: the money must flow, rights must be respected, and the fossil fuel era must be laid to rest. The hope now is that Week Two will build on this foundation of heat and hope to deliver the action the world is waiting for.