Civil society shapes COP30 in Belém ^{CEFR B2}

COP30 in Belém combined formal negotiations with a strong public presence of organized civil society. Isabela Carvalho attended as a civil society delegate, and the local context — Belém is an Amazon capital at the mouth of the Guamá River — helped make territorial voices more prominent. River travel links Indigenous, quilombola and ribeirinho communities to the city, and hosting the conference in Brazil likely encouraged broader participation by social groups.

The People’s Summit emerged as a central political space where social movements, urban collectives and Indigenous communities articulated positions and built consensus; at the closing, representatives delivered a collective letter to COP officials and members of the Brazilian government. Indigenous participation expanded significantly: the Yaku Mama Flotilla, with more than 60 Indigenous leaders, traveled about 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles) over more than a month from Ecuador, Peru and Colombia. Organizers reported more than 900 Indigenous participants accredited for the Blue Zone, up from just over 300, and the final COP text recognized Indigenous territorial rights.

Speakers stressed territorial sovereignty and local priorities, warning that funding must be anchored in those rights. The Global Climate March drew around 70,000 people and raised demands on forests, land demarcation, mining, racial and gender rights and corporate accountability. COP30 announced the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, with more than 50 countries joining a fund to pay per hectare protected or restored; Indigenous leaders welcomed the idea but urged direct, non‑bureaucratic access to funds. A global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels did not advance, and Brazil said it would pursue a proposal through the BAM (Belém Action Mechanism). Overall, territorial actors occupied rooms, influenced debates and broadened what is possible, even as frustrations remained.