The Mixed Legacy of COP30 in the Amazon: Another Missed Chance?
The 30th UN Annual Conference of the Parties (COP30) for Climate Change is currently taking place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. Choosing to host these negotiations in such a location was not random: the Amazon region stands as a symbol as one of the planet’s most critical ecosystems. The guiding narrative of COP30 was to shift from pledges toward implementation — to move from “what we will do” to “how we will do it”.
Tracing its origin, the COP process began in the mid-1990s alongside the changes happening in meetings and review mechanisms on climate change for the UNFCCC. Each conference draws from the previous ones, assesses progress and sets new targets. Over the years, these gatherings have grown in size, complexity and ambition. The Paris Agreement of 2015 marked a milestone in this process, and ten years on, COP30 came at a moment when the focus is shifting – increasingly emphasizing action and delivery.
During the present negotiations, mainly due to the venue choice, topics such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, Indigenous rights, climate justice and land-use issues were given greater prominence. The emphasis is currently moving on “implementation” in the most practical sense, concretely linking national climate goals with investments, technology, adaptation measures and ecosystem protection. In many respects, COP30 is witnessing mixed sentiments and growing frustration. On one hand, the symbolism was strong, the agenda clear, and the platform global. Yet on the other hand, skepticism has mounted about whether the rhetoric will translate into meaningful change.
COP30: The UN Climate Change Conference
Brazil's own positioning was a major source of tension. Unquestionably, holding the summit in the Amazon was symbolic, but recent domestic policies cast doubt on its coherence. The end of the Soy Moratorium, the easing of environmental licensing regulations, and the granting of new offshore oil exploration licenses off the Amazon coast raised questions about whether the host nation's actions aligned with the climate goals of the summit. What was supposed to show their commitment to protecting nature ended up looking contradictory: the country said it would protect the forest but also planned to expand industries that harm it.
Other challenges concern the logistical and access issues, the real struggles people faced getting to and being at the conference. Belém, chosen for its proximity to the forest, probably wasn’t ready to host the crowd that showed up. Hotel prices skyrocketed, infrastructure was insufficient, and transport made participation difficult, especially for delegates from smaller countries and Indigenous groups. It was hard to ignore the sense of exclusion: those who are most impacted by climate change still had the hardest time having their voices heard.
The mood surrounding COP30 remains conflicted and uncertain. Some experts have called this summit a “stress test for multilateralism,” highlighting that what truly counts is not the promises but whether real action follows. The meeting in Belém made it crystal clear: we urgently need collective action on climate change, yet the very systems we rely on to coordinate that action are incomplete. Issues of access and participation show how quickly promises about climate justice can sound empty, especially when not everyone gets a seat at the table.
Even so, holding COP30 in the heart of the Amazon carried its own powerful significance that allowed for shared acknowledgment of the climate crisis. It was a call for proof, for action. The real danger now is that every effort stemming from these negotiations gets stuck between “what we say” and “what we do”, exemplified by the divide between talk of inclusion and the reality of people still being left out.
What happens next will decide whether COP30 is remembered as a turning point or yet another missed opportunity. It will come down to accountability, real funding, and policies that actually make a difference. The real legacy of COP30 won’t be about the speeches made in Belém, but will be determined by what comes afterward. It’ll be measured in the healthy forests, the protected floodplains, and, above all, in the lives of people who see, feel, or wait (yet again) for the change promised to them.
Chiara Scalco is a third year Bachelor student at Bocconi University, studying International Government.
