COP30 must mark a turning point for climate action

Held for the first time on the edge of the Amazon Rainforest, COP30 must represent a decisive moment in shaping the global climate agenda. The conference cannot conclude with vague commitments or postponed promises. To achieve meaningful progress, biodiversity must be placed at the center of climate negotiations, and international cooperation for the protection of tropical forests must be strengthened. Increased investment in mission-oriented science is also essential to drive solutions.

These recommendations are part of the statement “A Scientific Call for COP30: Science Academies United for Climate Action,” endorsed by nearly 40 Science Academies and four regional networks under the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). The document was sent to COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago on November 3 and shared with the Office of the President of Brazil and the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and Environment and Climate Change (MMA) to inform negotiations.

The statement highlights that science has already identified potential solutions to the climate crisis, and implementation must accelerate. It calls for research focused on forest restoration, recovery of degraded areas, hydrological cycle monitoring, environmental surveillance for disease prevention, development of social technologies, sustainable biodiversity management, and technological innovation in land-use systems and climate change mitigation. According to the Academies, global climate stability cannot be sustained without living, functional, and socially integrated tropical forests. Science must serve as a reliable source of evidence, a strategic planning tool, and a foundation for urgent and informed decision-making.

The document was first presented during the event “A Scientific Call for COP30” organized by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) in Manaus, Brazil, from October 20 to 22. Hosted at the headquarters of INPA (National Institute for Research of the Amazon), the meeting brought together researchers, representatives of Science Academies, and Brazilian authorities to discuss urgent topics and proposals for COP30. More than 20 Academies from Amazonian countries, the Americas, and other regions participated in the discussions.

President of COP30 addresses the participants of the meeting

Watch the video message from Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, President of COP30, as he addresses the audience.