Brazil calls for new stronger global climate governance ahead of COP30

Ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil is pushing for the creation of new global governance mechanisms to help nations implement their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, citing an urgent need to accelerate action.

Brazil, which will host COP30 in the Amazonian city of Belem this November, has called for the establishment of new international climate governance mechanisms to support countries in fulfilling their emissions reduction pledges. The proposal was outlined in an official letter from the Brazilian COP30 presidency and marks a renewed effort to strengthen global cooperation on climate action.

This year's summit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, where signatory countries pledged to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite these commitments, current national plans are projected to limit warming only to around 2.6°C - well above safe levels. Many nations continue to face major challenges in moving from pledges to tangible implementation.

According to the letter, “the international community should investigate how climate cooperation could become better equipped to accelerate implementation.” Brazilian officials argue that existing structures like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, while foundational, lack the institutional strength to ensure follow-through.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva initially introduced the idea of a new climate governance body during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last November. He proposed creating a “United Nations climate change council” with a clear mandate to assist countries in meeting their Paris Agreement goals.

“There’s no point in negotiating new commitments if we don’t have an effective mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement,” Lula said at the time. “We need stronger climate governance.”

Brazil’s lead climate negotiator and COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, reiterated this stance, noting that while negotiations have largely concluded, the challenge lies in execution. “The UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement don’t have the strength or mandate to take this forward, so we’re proposing to reconsider how we can institutionally strengthen implementation,” he told journalists.

Rather than COP30 serving as the decision-making venue for this proposal, the Brazilian letter suggests that the United Nations General Assembly should take up the matter. It argues that the UNGA is better positioned to explore innovative governance models that would enhance the global response to climate change.

“Debates at the UN General Assembly could explore innovative governance approaches to endow international cooperation with capabilities for rapid sharing of data, knowledge and intelligence, as well as for leveraging networks, aggregating efforts and articulating resources, processes, mechanisms and actors within and outside the UN,” the letter states.

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