Following on from the first plenary session of 2021 in which we addressed new paths of cooperation with the United States in light of the new administration, we will seek to discuss the road to CoP26, with a focus on issues relevant to the Amazon, from a dialogue between the UK and Brazil.

Examples of some COP26-related topics to be explored are: common timeframes, transparency, climate finance and emissions trading (Article 6), in addition to the national commitments to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It is relevant to highlight corporate sector efforts that have been reflected in the UN Race to Zero initiative, a science-driven campaign that aggregates the net zero emissions commitments of a number of leaders in climate action.

From the Brazilian perspective, the debate may consider the relevance of the land use, land use change and forest sector to the mitigation and adaptation objectives of the Paris Agreement, placing the Amazon in a prominent place. With the significant increase in deforestation in the Amazon in the last two years, the largest Brazilian banks – Itaú Unibanco, Bradesco and Santander – joined forces and announced the joint plan for the sustainable development of the Amazon. Within the Concertação pela Amazônia network, the group associated with Chatham House developed a forum on the challenges for sustainable development in the region.