Pará urges climate finance at COP30 in the Amazon

“We are positioned to help lower global temperatures, but we need climate finance for that,” the governor said on Tuesday (30). He added that Brazil wants COP30 to secure a guarantee that developed countries will support initiatives in developing nations. Mr. Barbalho expects the event, to be held in Belém at the heart of the Amazon rainforest, to be less talk and more delivery. “That we may reduce intentions and move on to actions,” he said.

Mr. Barbalho appeared alongside Governor Gladson Cameli of Acre at an event hosted by Valor, O Globo, and CBN, marking the fourth meeting of the “COP30 Amazônia” project. During the panel “A vez dos Estados: as soluções para proteger a natureza e promover o desenvolvimento sustentável” (“States’ turn: solutions to protect nature and promote sustainable development”), the governors discussed the role of states and municipalities in environmental protection and the challenges facing their regions.

The Pará governor defended the choice of Belém as the host city for COP30 despite international pressure to move it, especially because of hotel capacity concerns. He emphasized the importance of allowing delegations to see the Amazon’s realities and the challenges its people face. “Brazil has the standing to demand commitments from the largest economies. None of the world’s biggest economies does for the environment what Brazil is doing,” Mr. Barbalho said on Tuesday morning.

During the event, he also emphasized that Brazil’s conservation goals won’t be achieved without full commitment from state and local governments and policies. “We need to build alternative economies that change land-use logic,” Mr. Barbalho argued, citing as an example turning forest stocks into a “menu of income” for landowners.

While underscoring Brazil’s role in the global debate on conservation and climate change, Mr. Barbalho pointed out that one of the country’s biggest challenges is transitioning to a low-carbon economy. He said that Pará has been working to implement this model. He also emphasized the importance of policies that enhance the value of sustainable practices.

Aligned with his colleague, the governor of Acre also spoke about the need to reconcile environmental preservation with sustainable agribusiness. “You don’t need to cut down a single tree to strengthen agribusiness,” he said, noting that his administration is focused on supporting farmers and stepping up enforcement against illegal deforestation and burning.

In Mr. Barbalho’s view, land-tenure regularization is a key strategy for inclusive environmental protection that respects local communities. “Brazil needs to look to the land-regularization agenda as a strategy that is social—because it guarantees the right to land—and environmental—because granting title confers not only a right but also a duty,” he said.

For the Pará governor, land-tenure regularization is crucial to reducing territorial conflicts by clarifying rights and responsibilities for land occupants. Mr. Cameli also mentioned that regularization is a challenge in Acre and emphasized the need for better coordination among police forces in environmental protection.