The COP, Conference of the Parties, is the largest and most important climate meeting held in the world. Organized by the United Nations, the UN, the event will reach its 30th edition in 2025 and will take place in Brazil, in the city of Belém, in Pará. Next, check out everything you need to know about the COP.

What is the COP?

Since 1995, global leaders have met annually to discuss and negotiate the direction and progress of countries and society in confronting the climate crisis at the Conference of the Parties, known as the COP. The event is held under the purview of the United Nations (UN) and, in 2025, will reach its 30th edition, which will be held in Brazil, in Belém (PA).

The meetings are organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UNFCCC, the arm of the UN responsible for discussing global warming. At these conferences, participants discuss action plans to address climate change.

How did the COP come about?

The COP originated a few years before the first official convention. It all started in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 during Rio-92, an event of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. That year, delegations from 175 countries began discussions on plans to combat the impacts of greenhouse gases and to make the global economy more sustainable.

In Rio-92, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was established, an international treaty for climate cooperation, which became the basis for COPs by instituting the limitation of average increases in global temperature. From then on, the climate conference materialized and reached its first edition in 1995.

What are the COP's main milestones?

Below are the most important moments from the climate meetings and the decisions affecting the forest sector.

1997 - COP3 - Kyoto, Japan

The meeting marked the birth of the Kyoto Protocol, the first global agreement with mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions aimed at developed countries. It took eight years for the countries involved to ratify the agreement, which came into force in 2005 and had specific goals for each participating country.

2015 - COP21- Paris, France

Marking the 20th anniversary of the COP, the meeting in the French capital defined a historic milestone: the Paris Agreement. The commitment established the maintenance of keeping the global average temperature below 2ºC below pre-industrial levels. The countries also agreed to make an effort to keep the global average temperature above 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels. Shortly before the conference, several countries presented the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as the climate goals are called.

2021 - COP26 - Glasgow, United Kingdom

This edition established the Glasgow Pact, which consolidated the understanding from previous years that a limit of 2ºC is not sufficient and that it is necessary to achieve the goal of 1.5ºC of global average temperature above pre-industrial levels. In addition, the meeting approved the global carbon market, establishing rules for the commercialization of carbon credits.

2022 - COP27 - Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

The meeting in Egypt brought up discussions about the need to support countries vulnerable to climate impacts, which suffer from natural disasters. To this end, a loss and damage fund was created with a focus on expanding climate justice. In addition, the first debates emerged about how planted forest projects can generate credits from

carbon.

2023 - COP28 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Dubai meeting made the first global assessment of the Paris Agreement and made it clear that what is currently being done is not yet sufficient to meet the established climate goals. Another relevant point is that countries have started to conclude bilateral cooperation agreements in the carbon market.

2024 - COP29 - Baku, Azerbaijan

COP29 advanced the discussions on climate finance and established that developed countries must lead the contribution of at least 300 billion dollars by 2035 so that developing countries can implement actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. For the forestry sector, the breakthrough was the approval of general rules for carbon removals through planted forests.

Who is participating in the COP?

The COP's main objective is to bring together UNFCCC signatories, known as “Parties”, which are basically the 196 countries that joined the Convention; the Parties are represented by state leaders and other government representatives, forming the countries' delegations. These people advocate for climate guidelines, are present on negotiating agendas, and have the power to vote on COP decisions. These groups circulate in the Blue Zone.

In addition to formal delegations, there are observers. These people can attend the negotiations — a condition that gives more transparency to the process as a whole — but they have no right to vote. Members of NGOs, community groups, academics, sector representatives, and indigenous leaders are some of the profiles that can participate as observers.

To be an observer of the COP, you must go through the admission process organized by the UNFCCC — it is not possible to “buy tickets” for the COP. These groups also circulate in the Blue Zone.

The number of credentials granted to observer States and institutions is determined by the UNFCCC, according to the capacity of the host city. For example, in Glasgow, at COP 26, in 2021, the offer of credentials was very restricted; while at COP 28, in Dubai, there was a record number of people attending.

How is the COP organized?

COPs attract thousands of people every year, but participants don't necessarily travel to the same locations. The conference is divided into specific spaces for the various groups that attend the event. The main ones are:

Blue Zone

place where the official negotiations of the participating States take place. The area is organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and only allows entry with credentials provided by official delegations (technical staff from countries and designated by governments), heads of state and observer institutions (NGOs, universities, sector associations, for example) and accredited journalists. The Blue Zone has several negotiation rooms, plenaries for events, panels and small offices for countries. In addition, there are pavilions for countries and other stakeholders, such as the Amazon Legal Consortium, Standards Pavilion and NGO pavilions, such as WWF, among others. In the Blue Zone, the UNFCCC determines an official agenda with negotiation agendas, special events, and panels, and this agenda is constantly updated on the institution's website, including during the weeks of the COP, since many agendas are dynamic and discussions arise spontaneously. As an institutional agenda, the COP includes thematic days to focus on specific issues. Representatives of the private sector and civil society access the Blue Zone with credentials provided by observer institutions or States. The EcoFuturo Institute, for example, is accredited as an observer institution with access to the Blue Zone, and the Suzano delegation, historically, accesses the site through credentials granted by EcoFuturo, the Federal Government and sector associations.

Green Zone

Open space for the public, accessible to everyone. In it, civil society, public institutions, global leaders, private companies and other organizations can dialogue, participate in events, and visit thematic pavilions. The purpose of the area is to broaden the debate, provide access to information and reflect the Blue Zone discussions. Some of the events and meetings that Suzano participates in take place in the Green Zone.

The existing pavilions in Blue and Green Zone have their specific agendas

Side Events

Programming that takes place in parallel during COP days, outside official spaces, such as lectures, debates and dinners. Suzano also operates in this space.

What is discussed at the COP?

In general, the main topic of the COP is the state of global warming, the impacts of climate change on the planet, and what measures need and are being taken to address the climate crisis. It also assesses whether commitments and agreements are being fulfilled, such as the Paris Agreement and the global ambition to triple renewable energy capacity.

Because of the complexity of the discussions, which involve diverse interests from nearly 200 countries, each conference tends to have a specific focus or priorities in the negotiations. At the same time, however, several agendas are addressed simultaneously, such as: emission reduction, climate adaptation, climate finance, clean technologies, environmental preservation and conservation, biodiversity, water security and climate justice, among others.

There are many goals, commitments, and actions that need to be implemented effectively to achieve the expected results. Given the diversity of topics and agendas, the COP presidency organized all demands into 30 key objectives (Find out more here).

How is the private sector participating in the COP?

Companies usually participate in events both in the Blue Zone (with credentials) and in the Green Zone, or in parallel events, and show the advances in their production processes and in their sustainability practices, in addition to seeking dialogue with different groups, defending sectoral causes, influencing important guidelines for the sector and for negotiation, and consolidating their reputation. Companies can hold bilateral meetings, present reports and proposals to stimulate debate about the impacts of climate change on different sectors of society.

As the COP covers different topics - such as climate adaptation, just transition and carbon market, for example - each company maintains its focus on the most relevant guidelines for its business or sector, together with associations, and has the opportunity to dialogue with representatives from different segments, which brings dynamism to the agenda.

SB COP: the Brazilian private sector gaining a leading role at COP30

Inspired by the actions of the B20, the official forum for business dialogue with G20 leaders, the initiative was created SB COP (Sustainable Business COP), which brings together leaders from the business sector in Brazil and other regions of the world. Designed by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the SB COP aims to strengthen the voice of companies in international climate negotiations, especially during COP30, creating a permanent channel to present recommendations, projects and concrete solutions towards decarbonization and the low carbon economy.

Through the SB COP, Brazilian companies have the opportunity to influence debates, share good practices, collaborate so that public policies and international commitments are more ambitious and realistic, and position the private sector as a strategic partner of governments and other actors in the search for practical solutions to climate challenges.

In addition to the pulp and paper sector, sectors such as energy, chemistry, agribusiness and finance are also represented in the SB COP, expanding the impact and diversity of the solutions proposed by the Brazilian private sector.

How will COP30 be organized in Belém?

Scheduled for November 10 to 21, 2025, the conference will take place in Brazil, in Belém, the capital of Pará. The expectation is that 60,000 people will participate in the event, of which 7,000 must be from UN teams and delegations from the signatory countries.

This year, exceptionally, the high-level meeting, restricted to state leaders, will take place days before the official start of the COP, for security and logistical reasons.

The Blue Zone and Green Zone pavilions will be in the City Park, in Belém, and will house thematic hubs and pavilions dedicated to discussions such as climate finance, innovation, biodiversity, and clean technology.

Some institutions will be in Belém, in properties scattered around the city, with parallel schedules, such as Cubo Itaú, TED, Casa Brasil, CASE, Embrapa's Agrizone space, with several events. In other words, throughout the two weeks of the COP, there will be events taking place all over the city.

In parallel with the COP, the UNFCC holds other meetings and intermediate meetings, such as meetings of technical and scientific subsidiary bodies, and regional climate weeks. Events related to the Climate agenda are not restricted to the COP and Belém. Cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo already host diverse events and agendas with the agenda.

What are the expectations for COP30?

For the official agenda, every year before the main conference, a preparatory meeting is held in Bonn, Germany, which acts as a thermometer for the COP. At this meeting, the delegations dedicate themselves to technical negotiations, seeking to advance the discussions as much as possible to achieve a satisfactory result during the conference.

In this year's edition, the work done in Bonn was considered positive in view of the agenda of the organization of COP30. Among the priority themes of the Brazilian presidency are:

• Strengthen multilevel governance, ensuring that multilateralism and dialogue lead to concrete advances and consensus
• Define indicators for the global climate adaptation goal; Advance the just transition program
• Continuing the consequences of the Global Stocktake, carried out in 2023 - an overview of the Paris Agreement
• Expand discussions on climate finance, with the objective of increasing available resources - including the ambition to mobilize US$ 1.3 trillion for decarbonization and US$ 300 billion by 2035, from developed to developing countries

The issue related to carbon credits and removals is currently not on the agenda to be discussed this year.

It is also expected that this will be a more inclusive COP, with greater participation of traditional populations and civil society organizations. After three editions held in countries with authoritarian regimes, the volume of protests and demonstrations in public spaces is expected to be significantly higher.

In addition, Brazil has a unique opportunity to show the world not only the importance of the Amazon, but also that the country and Latin America offer real and scalable solutions, especially linked to the bioeconomy, that can contribute to the next phases of combating the climate crisis.

Conclusion

The decisions taken in the trading rooms reverberate in society as a whole and can affect issues such as the use of fossil fuels, investment in renewable energy, and impact everything from the price of products to the creation of new laws.

Discussions can also influence consumer behavior, who start to charge governments and companies more, requiring products to be committed to environmental and climate action.

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