WWF and Greenpeace leaders said COP30 must move from “talk to action” and produce a time-bound global plan to end deforestation by 2030, stressing the Amazon’s critical tipping point.
The organisations highlighted strong Indigenous participation and backed Brazil’s call for COP30 roadmaps on phasing out fossil fuels and protecting forests.
WWF And Greenpeace Urge COP30 To Deliver Concrete 2030 Roadmap To Halt And Reverse Deforestation
They warned that symbolic gestures or vague commitments would be insufficient, insisting on concrete implementation to meet Paris Agreement goals.
Summary
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace on Tuesday urged countries at the UN COP30 Climate Summit to agree on a roadmap to end and reverse deforestation by 2030.
At a joint press conference, WWF International Director General Kirsten Schuijt and Greenpeace Brazil Executive Director Carolina Pasquali said COP30 must shift from “talk to action” and deliver a concrete, time-bound plan for forests.
They said COP30, being held in the heart of the Amazon, should “live up to its full potential” and deliver for communities and nature.
Negotiators from more than 190 countries are participating in the annual Conference of Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), underway in Belem in Brazil’s Amazon region from 10 to 21 November.
Schuijt noted that Indigenous peoples and local communities were raising their voices as scientists warn that rainforests like the Amazon are nearing irreversible tipping points.
“The eyes of the world are on COP30 and the Amazon – we must heed this call,” she said.
“There is no credible pathway to meeting the Paris Agreement without ambitious action on forests,” she added, calling the summit a “historic opportunity” to close the ambition and implementation gap.
“Halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 is a deadline we cannot afford to miss,” she said.
Highlighting the symbolism of holding global negotiations in the world’s largest tropical rainforest, Pasquali said time was running out. "The time is running out not only for the Amazon and so many forests around the world, but also here at COP30. We cannot leave Belem with symbolic gestures, voluntary commitments or vague promises," she added.
She emphasised the need for a concrete, time-bound plan to end deforestation in all forests by 2030.
“The Global Stocktake at COP28 recognised this goal, but recognition is not action. The world is watching and it's time to deliver real action now. There is no 1.5 degree census solution without forests and COP30 can still be an historic turning point if we make it happen. It's time to act,” Pasquali said.
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The two officials also pointed to Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s call for two COP30 roadmaps – one on transitioning away from fossil fuels and another on forests.
They further underlined the strong presence of Indigenous peoples and local communities at the summit, who are demanding their rights and an end to deforestation.
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