The climate summit COP30 in the rainforest city of Belém is underway, and Save the Orangutan is calling for climate action that puts nature and indigenous peoples in focus.
This year’s COP is set against a remarkable backdrop. The host city, Belém, sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest – an ecosystem that, like the rainforests of Borneo, is home to thousands of unique species, plays a critical role in regulating the global climate and provides a homeland for many indigenous communities whose lives and cultures are deeply intertwined with nature.
It is a stark reminder of the importance that large forest areas have for the climate.
“Nature is an important part of the solution to the climate crisis, and this applies not least to rainforests, such as those in Brazil and Borneo. We hope that the negotiators at the climate summit will take the role of nature seriously, now that integrating nature and climate is part of the agenda,” says Marie Sigvardt, head of Save the Orangutan.
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Indigenous peoples must be heard
Brazilian President Lula has emphasized that Belém was chosen in part to ensure a strong focus on indigenous peoples – those who live in closest connection with the forest. Their frustrations were made evident when indigenous protestors entered the COP area to demand attention to their rights and concerns.
“Indigenous peoples around the world must be heard. The climate crisis is hitting them hard. At the same time, they are the ones who both know and manage nature best, so that it is not exploited with major consequences for both biodiversity and climate,” says Marie Sigvardt, head of Save the Orangutan.
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Climate action is starting to work, but it is far too slow
As world leaders negotiate new climate goals, attention is also being drawn to the many countries that still lack national climate plans – an essential foundation for effective climate action.
However, a recent UN report offers a small but important sign of hope: for the first time, the numbers suggest that global climate efforts are beginning to have an effect. However, the report also makes clear that current progress is far too slow and that we remain far from reaching the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
“We are following the climate summit with interest. The recent UN report makes it clear that we can actually make a difference – but also that it must happen now. It is absolutely necessary that promises are kept and that proper action plans are made, which of course must also be followed up. And then we can only appeal to take nature and biodiversity into account in our work,” says Marie Sigvardt.
The photo is from Borneo (not Brasil), and highlights the work of a local rainforest-hero. Credits: BPI