People-Centered Climate Action: Unpacking Brazil’s Groundbreaking Plan for COP30

People-Centered Climate Action

People-Centered Climate Action: Unpacking Brazil’s Groundbreaking Plan for COP30

In a powerful letter dated August 12, 2025, the incoming Brazilian Presidency of COP30 has issued a groundbreaking call for a fundamental shift in our approach to the climate crisis, championing a vision of people-centered climate action.

This new people-centered climate action vision invites the international community to move beyond purely technical and scientific challenges and instead focus on the lived experiences and leadership of those on the frontlines of climate change. The letter makes it clear that to be effective, all climate action must begin and end with people. A key part of this approach is the emphasis on historically marginalized communities, including women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants, and the elderly. The presidency reframes these groups not as mere victims of the crisis, but as essential leaders in resilience, care, and regeneration whose knowledge, culture, and stewardship are vital models for a sustainable future.

This people-centered climate action vision for a more inclusive and just climate response is backed by a concrete strategy to be implemented at the COP30 summit in Belém, located in the heart of the Amazon. The presidency outlines a plan to integrate this people-centric approach across all four pillars of the conference.

  • First, through Global Mobilization, the summit will engage directly with people’s realities on the ground.
  • Second, within the Formal UNFCCC Negotiations, discussions on adaptation, the global stocktake, and a just transition will be rooted in the needs of people.
  • Third, the Action Agenda will align climate solutions with the Sustainable Development Goals to combat poverty, promote justice, and address structural inequalities.
  • Finally, the Leaders’ Summit will foster genuine debate aimed at connecting high-level climate policy to people’s real lives.

Ultimately, the letter serves as a renewed invitation for the global community to “change by choice, together,” moving beyond a model of fear and loss towards one of hope and collaboration. It powerfully frames COP30 as a “ritual of passage”—a collective moment to mourn our losses, honor shared human values, and collaboratively build a more prosperous future. This call for people-centered climate action is a profound reminder that the most effective climate solutions are acts of deep responsibility and care.

💡Learn More

🔎 More About COP30

Kazi Mahir Tajwar

Kazi Mahir Tajwar – Development enthusiast with academic roots in Governance & Development Studies and Geography & Environment; driving change.