Mutirão Examples

The COP30 mobilization demonstrated, in practice, how the Global Mutirão can connect the international climate regime to people’s everyday lives. Throughout 2025, multiple initiatives—led by communities, subnational governments, civil society organizations, and youth networks—translated climate action into concrete, inclusive experiences spread across different territories.

Thematic Mutirões with Global Reach

Across all continents, thematic Mutirões mobilized thousands of people around shared environmental causes. Communities organized beach, river, and mangrove clean-up actions during World Cleanup Day; cities and collectives promoted World Car Free Day, encouraging alternative forms of mobility; and digital campaigns expanded awareness of mangroves, coral reefs, and coastal ecosystems.

Other initiatives, such as the Mutirão for Sustainable Electronic Waste Management, drove global mobilizations to promote proper disposal of electronic equipment and strengthen the circular economy. These efforts engaged national and international institutions, NGOs, influencers, schools across seven Brazilian states, and more than 2,500 waste pickers, resulting in the collection of 1,050 tons of electronic waste—five times the initial target. These actions demonstrated how global observance days can serve as catalysts for local mobilizations that drive everyday behavioral change.

Mobilization in Brazil

In Brazil, the Mutirão took on an unprecedented territorial dimension. States and local partners organized the Biome COPs, creating spaces for dialogue and mobilization dedicated to the country’s main ecosystems—such as the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampas. In parallel, the Mutirão focused on the implementation of the Forest Code mobilized the Federal Government, states, and other partners. In addition, local tree-planting Mutirões, such as those held in Tijuca National Park and the Serra do Vulcão, demonstrated in practice society’s engagement in ecosystem regeneration and the direct involvement of civil society.

Civil society promoted debates, workshops, and educational activities, engaging traditional communities, students, environmental movements, and scientific institutions. These gatherings strengthened the link between science, local knowledge, and public policies, expanding understanding of climate challenges and solutions in each territory.

Self-Managed Ethical Dialogues

Another relevant example of a global mutirão was the organization of the Self-Managed Global Ethical Balances. Communities, social movements, youth networks, and local governments independently organized dialogues on the ethical dilemmas of climate action.

These dialogues were encouraged by the Ministry of the Environment and the COP30 Presidency and organized by different civil society groups around the world. The initiative is part of the Global Ethical Balances organized by the Brazilian government across six continents. It draws inspiration from the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement, but from the perspective of promoting ethical and planetary listening on the climate crisis—bringing together social, cultural, spiritual, business, scientific, and political leaders to discuss the ethical reasons behind the difficulties in advancing climate action agendas.

The meetings reflected strong diversity in terms of gender, race, and generations, with significant participation from Black women, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, and local collectives. The dialogues reinforced the importance of justice, equity, and inclusion as pillars of the climate response.

Youth Mutirão

Youth mobilization was another central example of the Global Mutirão. Under the leadership of the COP30 Presidency’s Youth Champion, Marcele Oliveira, youth networks organized dozens of events before and during the conference in Belém, expanding the presence of peripheral voices, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities within the COP30 agendas.

More than 50 consultation processes were carried out in Brazil through territorial plenaries, complemented by international engagement at Climate Weeks and other global forums. The mobilization also included a trilingual participation platform that connected youth contributions to the COP30 Action Agenda and reached hundreds of thousands of people through digital content.

MiniCOPs and Intergenerational Leadership

Among the most innovative examples of the Mutirão was the organization of 130 MiniCOPs, which mobilized children and adolescents across ten countries. Through conversations, workshops, and hands-on activities, these spaces enabled participants to express their perspectives and proposals regarding the climate crisis.

During COP30, more than 170 children took part in official activities, including high-level intergenerational dialogues, making Belém one of the most participatory climate conferences for this audience. The MiniCOPs, developed by Instituto Alana with the support of the COP30 Presidency, became established as a model of mobilization that integrates education, dialogue, and climate action.

A Mosaic of Actions

These examples demonstrate that the Global Mutirão does not take shape as a single initiative, but rather as a mosaic of actions connected by a shared purpose. Together, these experiences show how distributed mobilization—rooted in territories and globally connected—can strengthen the implementation of the Paris Agreement and expand the reach of climate action in an inclusive, concrete, and continuous manner.

Looking for Mutirão examples to organize in your territory?

1)Tree Planting and Reforestation Mutirões
- Organize groups for planting native trees in urban and rural areas.

- Restore degraded areas, riverbanks, and slopes.

- Partner with schools, NGOs, and universities.

2)River, Beach, and Public Space Clean-Up Mutirões
- Remove solid waste from natural areas

- Sort waste for recycling

- Collect data on types of litter for awareness campaigns

3)Composting and Urban Garden Mutirões
- Establish community and school gardens

- Set up collective composting points for organic waste

- Share agroecological and permaculture techniques

4)Environmental Education Mutirões
- Conduct workshops, discussion circles, and film screenings on the climate crisis

- Create educational spaces in underserved neighborhoods

- Bring information, debates, and climate action to public schools

5)Sustainable Mobility Mutirões
- Encourage the use of bicycles and public transportation

- Organize groups for bike rides and campaigns for bike lanes

- Promote carpooling and public transport route mapping

6)Neighborhood Zero-Waste Mutirão
- Conduct environmental education workshops focused on waste separation

- Carry out door-to-door selective waste collection routes

- Set up exchange points for recyclables in return for seedlings or food

- Hold workshops on making eco-bags and reusing waste materials

7)Energy-Conscious Mutirões
- Organize visits to exchange regular bulbs for LEDs

- Install flow reducers on taps

- Conduct workshops on how to reduce energy consumption at home

8)Water-Conscious Mutirões
- Conduct visits to homes and businesses to identify leaks

- Promote the installation of simple cisterns or rainwater harvesting systems

- Organize discussion circles about the region’s rivers and springs