Brazil is steering COP30 toward a voluntary "action agenda" focused on implementation rather than a new global treaty. Key announcements include the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) with more than $5 billion pledged and a $125 billion target to reward forest protection; methane initiatives aiming for "near zero" emissions in the fossil-fuel sector plus programs to mobilize roughly $150m–$400m for reductions in developing countries; and the Belem 4x Pledge to quadruple sustainable fuel use by 2035. NGOs welcomed some steps but warned that stronger regulation and safeguards are needed to prevent unintended harms.
Brazil's COP30 'Action Agenda': $5bn Forest Fund, Methane 'Near Zero' Pledges and the Belem 4x Sustainable Fuels Push
Brazil is steering COP30 toward a voluntary "action agenda" focused on implementation rather than a new global treaty. Key announcements include the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) with more than $5 billion pledged and a $125 billion target to reward forest protection; methane initiatives aiming for "near zero" emissions in the fossil-fuel sector plus programs to mobilize roughly $150m–$400m for reductions in developing countries; and the Belem 4x Pledge to quadruple sustainable fuel use by 2035. NGOs welcomed some steps but warned that stronger regulation and safeguards are needed to prevent unintended harms.
10:07 AM, 11/11/2025Environment
Brazil is steering COP30 toward an "action agenda" of voluntary commitments rather than a single new global treaty, hosting the summit in the Amazon city of Belém. With limited appetite for binding global deals and the United States not participating at the leadership level, organizers pushed for practical initiatives designed to accelerate implementation by governments and the private sector.
Forest fund: Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)
Before COP30 formally opened, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) at a leaders' summit in Belém. The investment vehicle — designed to reward tropical countries that protect rainforests — has already attracted more than $5 billion in pledges. Brazil’s long-term goal is to build a $125 billion facility that would share profits with developing countries for each hectare of forest conserved.
Private investors are expected to receive returns, with much of the fund intended to be invested in emerging-market bonds. Proponents say the model creates financial incentives to preserve forests while channeling capital into sustainable investments.
"Without strong regulation to stop the flow of finance to destructive industries, the TFFF risks becoming yet another well-meaning mechanism trapped in a broken system," said Tom Picken, forests and finance director at the Rainforest Action Network (RAN).
Methane pledges: fast reductions and finance
Cutting methane — a short-lived but powerful greenhouse gas — is being highlighted at COP30 as one of the fastest ways to slow near-term warming. Methane remains in the atmosphere for roughly 12 years but is about 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year timeframe.
Seven countries — Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Norway, Japan and Kazakhstan — signed a statement committing to drive methane emissions in the fossil-fuel sector toward "near zero." The pledge calls for rigorous measurement, an end to routine flaring (the burning of excess natural gas), and support for low- and middle-income producer countries.
Organizers also launched a Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator to fast-track deep methane cuts in 30 developing nations by 2030, aiming to mobilize $150 million in grant funding and other finance. Seven initial recipients announced at COP30 — Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa — will receive a combined $25 million.
Separately, the Global Methane Hub (GMH) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) unveiled an initiative to mobilize more than $400 million to reduce methane in developing countries. Mexico, Nigeria and Senegal were named as demonstration models for projects to curb agricultural methane, capture gas otherwise flared, and convert industrial waste into usable energy.
Sustainable fuels: the Belem 4x Pledge
Brazil’s foreign ministry announced the Belem 4x Pledge on Sustainable Fuels, saying 19 countries had signed on. The pledge aims to increase the use of sustainable fuels — including renewable hydrogen, certain biofuels and e‑fuels — at least fourfold by 2035 by supporting existing or announced policies and promoting international cooperation.
The Climate Action Network (CAN) criticized the pledge, calling some bioenergy pathways "dubious" and arguing that bioenergy cannot serve as a universal climate solution. CAN said it supports only hydrogen produced using renewable electricity.
Reactions and risks
Overall, COP30’s approach emphasizes voluntary, finance-driven initiatives and country-led pilots rather than a new binding treaty. Supporters argue this pragmatic agenda can accelerate implementation and attract private capital; critics caution that without stronger regulation and safeguards the initiatives risk reinforcing the very flows of capital that drive deforestation and harmful land-use practices.
What to watch next: whether pledged funds scale up, how safeguards and measurement systems are enforced, and whether voluntary initiatives translate into measurable emissions reductions and stronger protections for forests and communities.