By Jeff Kapembwa

Brazil and the European Parliament have hit the ground running in ensuring the oncoming COP 30 to be hosted in Belem meets the expectations of the climate campaigners seeking the attainment of the Nationally Determined Goals with the host expected to lead by example.

Discussions between the two parties have advanced ahead of the COP 30 planned for November 10-21. The meetings underway are focused on ensuring Brazil, hosting the global climate event was up to speed.

The meetings to be held at the City Park / Hangar Convention and Exhibition Centre, seek to ensure Brazil leads by example by adopting the EU’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and determine its role in achieving global climate goals.

Preparations include strengthening multilateralism, connecting climate action to people’s lives, and accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Data availed on Brazil’s newly launched COP 30 website stated that the meetings are to ensure the EU submits an updated NDC ahead of COP30, which will be held in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025.

Arguably, the EU, one of the lead campaigners for NDCs has set pace. Its current NDC target is a net reduction of -55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, data shows citing the European Parliament.

Brazil, as host, is committed to reducing Green House Gases (GHG) emissions by 37% this year and expand to 50 percent in five years.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament, one of the best legislative house in world have resolved.

It emphasises the need for the EU’s NDC to recognize the leadership of local and regional authorities and ensure a just and socially fair transition, a feat expected of the rest of the global campaigners.

Efforts are underway to ensure EU updates and finalizes its current state of the NDCs before submitting to the COP30.

This applies to all parties attending to finalise their updated NDCs

The European Parliament stressed the importance of local and regional authorities in achieving climate goals.

It calls for the EU’s NDC to recognize their role and ensure a just transition.

The COP 30 website, expected to be the medium for all data relating to the event, including accommodation, programmes for negotiations and review of previous decisions at previsions COPs, says this year’s global meeting will mark a key conference.

It will be expected to ensure the implementation of climate commitments, with the EU is expected to play a significant role in showcasing its efforts and encouraging other nations to enhance their NDCs.

Brazil, as the host of COP30, is actively engaging with international partners in the preparations for the ‘make or break conference’.

It is expected to set pace for the promotion of ambitious climate action that will be populated in all parties to the Paris Agreement.

Global Cooperation:

There vicious campaign to actualize global cooperation and the need for developed countries to fulfill their financial obligations to support climate action in developing nations, particularly in light of the Loss and Damage Fund.

This has received lukewarm response from developed countries, many major polluters of the Green House Gases (GHGs).

The 2015 COP pledge by China, US, India, among other polluters of US$100 billion for pacifying of environmental effects in Least Developed countries, Zambia included, have fallen off the perk.

And the COP 30 calender is out with the official Thematic Days calendar for COP30 days out, outlining the focus areas for the conference.

Geopolitical Context:

The conference will take place amidst shifting geopolitical landscapes, with the BRICS bloc potentially influencing global climate ambitions.

Accommodation:

Belem already has 53,003 beds available for delegates to COP 30 for an estimated 500,000 expected to sojourn into that country’s capital, Pará.

The accommodation include a range of solutions to ensure the conference is broad inscope, inclusive, and accessible, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, who is also President of COP30 is cited as saying.

There are 2,700 rooms for participants attending COP 30 in addition to 2,500 individual rooms reserved for 196 member countries, taking into account the specific accommodation needs for LDCs and Small Island States (SIDS).

However, it remains unclear if the reported backlash from non-climate change campaigners, who prefer agribusiness over the protection of forests and the lives of the indigenous people mainly in amazon forests, who are threatened by the calamity has been resolved.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz, a climate change campaigner also doubling as a multilateral development banks for Devexm, who earlier worked at Nature Magazine, where she received a Pulitzer grant for an investigation into land reclamation, predicts serious backlash on the COP 30 relating to logistical confusion and political headwinds hovering.

The conference, to be largely held in the Amazonian city of Belém, was pitched by Brazilian authorities. This was to promote the protection of the forests.

It was presented as a landmark opportunity to bring the world to the shrinking tropical rainforest.

Lubitz further cites the domestic political landscape, facing Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist leader known for his steadfast commitment to environmental protection, to contend with as pressure mounts.

The opposition ‘right’, want to promote support for agribusiness — often at the expense of protecting forests and Indigenous communities.

This is compounded by the rising anti-environmental movement at home.

Brazil’s Congress recently approved a controversial Bill dubbed the “devastation bill” by environmental activists and social movements.

The bill will substantially weaken environmental licensing, allowing medium-risk projects to move forward without impact assessments.

This includes mining, agricultural, and oil exploration projects.

Those looking to start a project are now exempted from doing an impact assessment on how their plans will impact Indigenous and Quilombola communities.

These are descendants of enslaved Black people who escaped slavery.

Instituto Socioambiental, a Brazilian NGO that advocates for Indigenous communities and local communities, found that 32.6% of all Indigenous territories and 80% of Quilombola communities would be excluded from impact studies.

Lula can still decide to veto or sign the bill over the next 15 days, but the bill’s passing follows a noticeable political shift in Brazil toward the right.