COP 30: Collaboration and Community Investment

This week marks the formal opening of the High-Level Segment, where ministers and leaders take discussions to the next level, with UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell describing the previous week’s achievements as “a trillion-dollar charge into clean energy and grids, rallied around a global plan to quadruple sustainable fuels”.

The thematic themes of the eighth day of COP30 focused on forests, oceans, biodiversity, indigenous peoples and local communities. Key highlights were:

Forests

As the home to, “the lungs of the earth”, Brazilian forests formed a key part of the discussions, including a R$100 million investment to support preservation and recovery efforts through a national Ecological Transformation plan for that region. Following the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a major focus of the negotiations surrounded unlocking forest finance to help reverse the impacts of deforestation on the global agriculture community. The fund aims to reward countries and communities that preserve their natural vegetation.

There was a particular focus on the need to increase global forest finance as it is estimated that at least USD 300 billion is needed annually to end the deforestation. The launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility will reserve a minimum of 20% of forest payments for Indigenous and Local Community governance. Through these efforts, Brazil and other member participants are sending a powerful message underscoring that forests are most valuable when left intact. 

Financing deforestation and climate mitigation

Brazil’s National Development Bank disclosed its Public Call for Climate Mitigation notice which received 45 proposals from investment funds with a collective equity value of BRL 73.7 billion. Private investment operations center on industrial decarbonization, energy transition and adaptation of both low-carbon agricultural technology, reforestation and forest conservation. 7 funds will be completed by January 2026 to combine public and private resources to tackle climate change. 

The Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ Land and Forest Tenure Pledge and The Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, were launched, celebrating that governments exceeded their USD 1.7 billion Land and Forest Tenure Pledge a year early, with support for USD 1.5-2 billion now invested up to 2030. Further comments from Indigenous communities were made to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. 

Oceans

For the first time in COP history, the Oceans agenda has taken a central stage in the climate conference. Discussions focused on how oceans are increasingly used as a frontier of human activity in respect of fishing, tourism, biotechnology and offshore wind power. As the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty is set to enter into force in 2026, focus has been on the need to share marine genetic resources and implement mandatory environmental practices with both leading nations and smaller communities across the world.

Further reading on COP30

Stay up to date on our daily briefings on COP30 and view all of our content from last year’s COP here.