100 Days to Belém: preparations for COP30 enter final stage with focus on accelerating a new decade of climate implementation
On the eve of COP30, Brasil ramps up efforts to turn Belém into the epicenter of a decisive decade in the global fight against climate change
By COP30 Presidency
Brasil’s mobilization to host COP30 is scaling up, with 100 days remaining until the UN climate conference, which will take place from November 10 to 21 in the Amazonian city of Belém. Over the past months, there has been significant progress in the global mutirão organized by the COP30 Presidency to accelerate the fight against the climate crisis and strengthen the multilateral climate regime.
The proposal for an inclusive governance, introduced in March in the first of four letters from COP30 designated President André Corrêa do Lago, reflects in the coordinated work of circles, special envoys, and councils. The four pillars — negotiation, action agenda, mobilization, and leadership summit — that underpin the conference’s work are also at full speed.
“From the outset of its preparations for COP30, Brasil has made it clear that its top priority is to strengthen multilateralism and ensure that everyone understands that when it comes to climate change, there is no path forward but together. This moment demands that we deepen our trust and belief in the power of multilateralism”, said COP30 President-Designate André Corrêa do Lago.
In this process, the Presidency has dedicated itself to creating an environment of cooperation, trust, and innovation to position COP30 as a catalytic platform for solutions and to mark a decisive turning point in this new decade of climate implementation.
Circles, envoys, and councils
In June, the first of six regional dialogues of the Global Ethical Stocktake was held in London, promoting collective listening and reflections on moral dilemmas related to the climate crisis. The conclusions will be presented through reports, artistic works, and videos at COP30. Additional dialogues are scheduled over the next two months in Bogotá, Colombia; New Delhi, India; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; New York, USA; and in a city to be confirmed in Oceania.
The Circle of Ministers of Finance, comprising representatives from 35 countries, is discussing topics such as access to climate funds, reform of multilateral banks, country platforms, and financial regulation. The last meeting took place in June, with more sessions expected in the coming months. In September, the group will prepare a document with final inputs for the COP30 Presidency, which will serve as one of the sources for the Roadmap to US$1.3 trillion in climate finance for developing countries by 2035, to be presented by COP29 and COP30 Presidents in Belém.
The Circle of Former COP Presidents discusses climate governance and ways to improve the implementation mechanisms of the Paris Agreement — including the role of multilateral bodies, the future of the Action Agenda, and finance. Comprising Presidents of the last ten COPs, the group met in June, with at least two more meetings planned.
Led by Minister Sonia Guajajara, the Circle of the Peoples includes the Indigenous International Commission and the Commission of Traditional Communities, Afro-descendants, and Family Farmers. It holds monthly hybrid meetings, with groups planning to hold thematic workshops in Belém. This Circle is essential for expanding participation in the COP30 process and ensuring that the climate conference becomes more inclusive and transparent, setting an inclusive model that could inspire future conferences.
The COP30 Presidency also introduced regional and geographic special envoys, acting as sounding boards for the Presidency and facilitating the flow of information and perceptions from the sectors they represent. These envoys have participated in dozens of events, advocated within their own communities, supported mobilization efforts, and serve as contact points with their industries and regions. Several one-on-one and group meetings with the COP30 Presidency have already taken place, with more scheduled before Belém.
The three Councils of the COP30 Presidency — Council of Economists, Science, and AI & Innovation — also meet regularly to debate ideas and support the Presidency on key issues. A fourth council focused on adaptation was recently created and will hold its inaugural meeting in early August.
"The structure we have built for the COP30 Presidency reflects the challenges and opportunities we face after 10 years of the Paris Agreement. A COP Presidency that is more collaborative, more inclusive, more representative, and more connected to people’s realities. The Circles, Councils, and Envoys have been instrumental in breaking silos, aligning agendas, and turning complexity into action. Above all, this mutirão is an effort to transform how the world collaborates to face the climate crisis. In the next 100 days, our focus is to consolidate these contributions into concrete solutions and substantive negotiation outcomes, ready to make COP30 a platform of implementation and collective action,” said COP30 CEO Ana Toni.
Four COP30 Pillars
In recent months, there have also been significant advances in negotiation consultations. The Bonn meeting concluded with progress on key issues for COP30’s success. Negotiators came up with nearly all the planned texts, with brackets and options moving to be debated in Belém. Among the advanced topics are indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation, Just Transition, and the Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement Dialogue.
The Action Agenda, launched in Bonn, has already begun activation group meetings for its six axes and 30 objectives. Hundreds of companies, subnational governments, international organizations, and associations are collaborating on solutions, which will be presented in Belém, to accelerate the implementation of the Global Stocktake.
The COP30 has been working to bring the Action Agenda closer to formal negotiations, recognizing that implementation depends on concrete coordination between the commitments made by States and solutions led by non-state actors. The conference aims to catalyze the implementation phase by providing an organized, transparent, and results-oriented platform where the private sector and other societal agents can contribute through innovation, investments, and leadership. This approach seeks to transform ambition into measurable progress, connecting the global climate response to people’s real lives, job creation, and the strengthening of sustainable economies.
The implementation of the Action Agenda is carried out in partnership with the COP30 Climate High-Level Champion, Dan Ioschpe. An entrepreneur and member of the boards of companies committed to a just transition, Ioschpe serves as one of the links between the COP30 Presidency and the private sector, among other groups.
Marcele Oliveira, Youth Climate Champion, leads mobilization efforts among young people, children, and community groups, among others, in the global mutirão against climate change. The mobilization pillar also includes activations on key dates such as World Car-Free Day and Beach Clean-up Day. There is also support for organizing self-managed Ethical Stocktakes, children’s COPs, and, in response to a COP30 Presidency’s call, COPs of Brazilian biomes, organized by governor coalitions.
Next 100 Days
In the coming 100 days, the COP30 Presidency’s priority is to expand consultations with countries and negotiating groups, alongside preparations for the Pre-COP, scheduled for October 13-14. Other priorities through November include:
A meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Environment Ministers organized by Mexico in August to discuss the region’s participation in COP30;
A Leaders’ Summit to debate NDCs, convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Lula during the UN General Assembly in September;
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Malaysia, scheduled for October;
Engagement in climate weeks, such as the one organized by the UNCCC in Addis Ababa, and various others organized in cities and regions across Brasil;
Visits and bilateral meetings.
This mobilization aims to engage national and subnational governments, the private sector, and civil society to achieve significant and tangible advances in implementing the Paris Agreement through negotiation. It also seeks to accelerate solutions led by the private sector and subnational governments.
More than just preparing for a conference, the next 100 days will be dedicated to further fostering the environment for climate action - solidifying alliances, unlocking solutions, and building bridges between the political and practical spheres. Concrete opportunities are being mobilized, especially within the agendas of Adaptation, Forests, and Finance, with notable progress already made through the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which will be opening new prospects for protecting tropical biomes at scale, with predictability and effectiveness. The COP30 Presidency will continue steering this global effort with a focus on results: actions that connect ambition with justice, and outcomes with lasting impact.