By Lynda Sullivan, An Taisce Minerals Extraction Policy Officer

My journey to Belem was long and stuffy. But arriving here, in the heart of the Amazon, where the rivers meet the sea, the air changed. Vibrant, fresh and dynamic. 

Before the crowds arrived I made my way to the blue zone - the ‘official’ part where the governments and large civil society organisations get to take the stage. I collected my COP30 certification badge along with Cindy Quevedo Monardez (see below) — Indigenous activist of the Colla People of the Atacama desert. At the door we ran into Clara Vidal, the Venezuelan Minister for Indigenous Peoples. Already, the Indigenous presence at this COP was evident. 

Given that the Presidents and world leaders were meeting at that time, we could not enter further into the blue zone that day. Also due to their presence, we were unable to escape it. All the roads were closed as the ‘important people’ moved around, and we were isolated from any vehicle that could transport us away. 

Yet I can’t blame this inconvenience on all world leaders, as many were thousands of kilometres away. Made conspicuous by their absence, the heads of the economically dominant states of USA, India and China, among others, left many asking about the relevance of this climate COP.

And maybe those wondering are correct, perhaps this will be just another high-stakes disappointment. But others, such as the Yaku Mama Amazon Flotilla, have made the long and arduous journey because they do still have hope. Especially this COP, the first ever to be held in a rainforest. In the Amazon rainforest at that- considered the most important ecosystem on Earth for sustaining life and regulating the climate. After three years of climate COP hosting by oil producing nations, this change is very welcome. 

So the talks will go on without those big economies, because it’s about so much more than money. Cindy is part of the Indigenous Caucus, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change who just released their Opening Plenary Statement:

“We celebrate this first COP held in the Amazon. However, the lack of commitment and ambition from Parties has brought us to irreversible tipping points.

"The Presidency calls it the COP of implementation, yet we are still experiencing colonisation in our territories, with the expansion of fossil fuels including in the Amazon, mining for transition minerals, carbon trading, the agribusiness industry, nuclear energy and uranium  extraction, geo-engineering, and large-scale renewable energy infrastructure. This perpetuates conflict, displacement, destruction, and contamination of our sacred places, as well as persecution, criminalisation, and murder of our relatives.

"We demand that all climate action must be carried out with full respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, including our right to self-determination, FPIC, and the protection of lands, waters, and territories."

Cindy and I will also be at the People’s Summit, La Cupla dos Povos from 12th to 16th November, where many social movements from around the world will converge. No matter what happens (or doesn’t happen) at the COP, this convergence and grassroots solidarity will be the real result. Alternatives to the extractive economy are already thriving. 

Also running parallel are many forums and gatherings - such as the Tribunal on the Rights of Nature, the Thematic Social Forum on Mining and the Extractive Economy, the Movement of People Affected by Dams, to name a few.

And we’ll all take to the streets on 15th November for a massive celebration of our diversity and unity. A call for not just a transition, but a just transformation where communities and the living world can thrive. 

(Photos courtesy of Lynda Sullivan — pictured in banner image)