Belém Climate Summit Daily Brief – November 6

The first day of the COP30 Leaders’ Summit in Belém set a decisive tone focused on turning commitments into action.

See below for a recap of the key developments from Day 1.

1. COP30 Leaders’ Summit Opens with a Call for Truth and Courage

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reminded delegates that this COP marks a symbolic return of the global climate convention to Brazil, three decades after the Earth Summit in Rio, and called on leaders to act with courage and determination.

President Lula warned that the world’s window for action is closing rapidly and that 2025, marking both the UN’s 80th anniversary and ten years since the Paris Agreement, will be a defining year for multilateralism and a moment of reckoning. “COP30 will be the COP of truth,” he said, a time to heed scientific warnings and transform words into lasting change.

He anchored his remarks in the Brazilian concept of Mutirão, collective effort and solidarity, urging leaders to embrace shared responsibility as the foundation for progress. 

For more information about the speech, please click here.

2. Tropical Forest Forever Facility Draws International Support

Created in record time and now fully operational for contributions, the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), Brazil’s flagship initiative to channel long-term investment into the preservation of tropical forests, drew widespread international support. 

53 countries have endorsed the initiative as of today, including 19 potential investors signaling early interest. The largest contribution announced came from Norway, pledging US$ 3 billion to the new Facility. Indonesia and Brazil each committed US$ 1 billion, while France announced a €500 million pledge. Additional contributions included $5 million from the Netherlands to support the Facility’s secretariat and €1 million from Portugal – together signaling growing global confidence in Brazil’s leadership and the initiative’s long-term vision.

Unveiling the TFFF, President Lula called it “an unprecedented initiative,” emphasizing that “for the first time, Global South countries will have protagonism in the forest agenda.”

To read the TFFF launch declaration, please click here. 

3. Leaders Endorse Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience 

Over 40 countries and major international organizations, including FAO, UNEP, and the International Tropical Timber Organization, endorsed the Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience.

The declaration:

• Establishes Integrated Fire Management as a global climate and biodiversity priority.

• Calls for a shift from reactive suppression to prevention-focused, science-based strategies.

• Emphasizes cooperation, Indigenous leadership, early-warning systems, and technology transfer.

• Links long-term fire resilience to sustainable finance mechanisms like the TFFF.

To read the Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience, please click here.