Brazil Calls for Global Public Digital Infrastructure to Speed Up Climate Action
A document prepared at the request of the President of COP30 advocates for the establishment of a system that can be adopted by governments, organizations, and communities, enabling real-time monitoring, financing, and coordination of climate policies
By Nicole Angel/COP30
At the request of the President of COP30, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, the Institute for Technology and Society of Rio de Janeiro (ITS Rio) and researcher Ronaldo Lemos have presented a groundbreaking proposal for a Global Public Digital Infrastructure for Climate (Climate DPI). Developed within the framework of the High-Level Technology Advisory Council to the COP30 Presidency, chaired by Lemos, the document outlines a new approach to address the fragmentation and slow pace of climate initiatives worldwide.
The proposal is based on the diagnosis that the global green transition lacks a shared digital foundation. Climate DPI is envisioned as an “operating system for climate action,” designed to interconnect data, finance, and digital intelligence on a planetary scale. Its goal is to create an open suite of digital tools that can be adopted by governments, organizations, and communities, enabling real-time monitoring, financing, and coordination of climate policies.
Just as highways and power grids were essential infrastructures for development in the 20th century, public digital infrastructure is posititoned as the backbone of the green transition in the 21st century.
Digital Architecture for Climate
The report outlines a modular architecture known as ClimateStack, which structures the proposal into interconnected layers.
The first layer addresses digital identification, establishing unique records for individuals, organizations, and assets linked to climate-related projects. This foundational system would enable tracking the full lifecycle of an intervention—from investment to emissions reduction.
The second layer encompasses payments and transactions, leveraging interoperable systems and smart contracts to facilitate resource transfers, compensations, and the issuance of carbon credits.
Next, the open data layer integrates information from satellites, environmental sensors, and local observations into large climate data repositories (data lakes), governed by open standards and ethical oversight.
An application layer would enable the development of digital public services, such as disaster alerts, forest monitoring, carbon markets, and climate risk forecasting systems.
Finally, the universal access layer ensures that these tools reach all populations—including the most vulnerable—through multiple interfaces, such as web platforms, SMS, community radio, and local languages.
Technologies and Expected Impacts
Climate DPI is grounded in a set of key technologies that are already being developed across various regions of the world, but which currently operate in isolation. Among them are Earth observation systems—such as GEOSS, Copernicus, and INPE/PRODES—which enable precise monitoring of forests, emissions, and environmental changes.
The document also highlights early warning and rapid response systems that combine sensors, artificial intelligence, and citizen science to prevent natural disasters. In addition, digital climate finance—leveraging blockchain and smart contracts—forms another pillar of the proposal, aimed at enhancing transparency and traceability of resources allocated to climate action.
The report further explores the role of artificial intelligence in supporting mitigation and adaptation measures—such as precision agriculture and intelligent grid management—and advocates for the development of green AI infrastructure, including sustainable data centers, efficient software, and 100% renewable energy.
Through this integration, Climate DPI seeks to deliver tangible outcomes: real-time monitoring of emissions and deforestation, increased transparency in carbon markets, up to 40% reduction in disaster response time, and global coverage of climate alerts by 2035.
Digital Legacy of COP30
The report proposes that COP30 officially launch Climate DPI as Brazil’s legacy project, laying the foundation for a global public digital infrastructure dedicated to climate action.
The initiative is intended to serve as the technological backbone of the Paris Agreement, enabling the commitments undertaken by countries to be tracked and translated into measurable outcomes.
Translation: Michel Emmanuel Félix François (POET/UFC)
Proofreading: Tadeu Azevedo (POET/UFC)