COP30: A historic meeting for the future of our climate

Back the people who protect the forest

Will the world finally get on track to stop deforestation? The stakes are high as world leaders and civil society gathers at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil.

Photo: Sarah Lança /RFN

Why the Amazon? What is at stake?

It is no coincidence that COP30 is being held in Belém, the gateway to the Amazon. The rainforest stores more than 120 billion tonnes of carbon. That is more than ten years of global emissions. Without the rainforest, it will be impossible to stop climate change.

Yet every minute, an area of rainforest equivalent to ten football pitches disappears. In many places in the Amazon, the forest has already reached a tipping point where it can no longer deliver basic ecosystem services such as rain production.

But it is not too late to save the rainforest. COP30 represents a last chance to set the world on track to stop deforestation by 2030 and reach the Paris Agreement goals. This requires countries to commit to unprecedented efforts to protect both nature and its guardians. COP30 needs to result in real and structural global actions centered on justice, rainforests, and nature protection, as these are fundamental to saving our climate.

Rainforests are the foundation of life on our planet: Everything we stand to lose, and everything we must protect.

Toerris Jaeger, executive director of Rainforest Foundation Norway

Rainforest Foundation Norway calls on countries to take the following actions at COP30:

Integrate the goal of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 into international and national climate action.
Support the establishment of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) as a new large-scale financing mechanism for tropical forest conservation.
Recognize and support the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in protecting nature and rainforests.

An Indigenous man in the rainforest in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Photo: Jon Dalsnes Storsæter/RFN

The role of Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples and local communities are at the centre of forest protection, living with, caring for, and defending the forest. Rainforest Foundation Norway stands with them. We partner with Indigenous and local community organisations to amplify their leadership, move resources and visibility to the frontline, and ensure they can shape the decisions that affect their forests and futures.

Indigenous peoples play a particularly important role at COP30. Many of the Rainforest Foundation's indigenous partners from the past 30 years will be present during the negotiations.

The Amazon rainforest. Photo: Shutterstock

What will be negotiated at COP30?

Before COP30, countries must submit new, enhanced climate targets (Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs) for 2035 in order to achieve the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Over 60 countries have already submitted their NDCs, but overall, the ambitions are not yet high enough to reach 1.5 degrees or well below 2 degrees, which is the goal of the Paris Agreement. It is therefore important that COP30 sets a clear direction for how we are going to close this gap.

Rainforest Foundation Norway calls on countries to take the following actions at COP30:

Fighting forest fires in Brazil. Photo: Edmar Barros

End deforestation by 2030

Integrate the goal of halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 into international and national climate action, including into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with clear and measurable policy and finance commitments. We expect this to be achieved in the follow-up of the Global Stocktake where progress on this is to be measured

A tree stands out in the canopy of the Brazilian Amazon. Photo: Araquem Alcantara

Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF)

Support the establishment of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) as a new large-scale financing mechanism for tropical forest conservation. Developed countries and large economies should contribute the sponsor capital necessary to establish the facility. We expect the TFFF to be formally launched during the high-level segment of COP30, presenting a new and increased tool for rainforest protection.

Members of the local community of Penzele in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Photo: Alexis Huguet/RFN

Indigenous peoples and local communities’ rights

Recognize and support the critical role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in protecting nature and rainforests, by

Recommitting to a new and more ambitious financial pledge to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities' tenure rights. We expect a pledge of at least 1.7 billion USD with increased philantropic commitments.

Joining the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment and setting ambitious targets for recognizing Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights. We expect new national targets for increased and improved land rights from key countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Colombia, Peru and DRC.