Review of the first week of COP26

Broadcast live directly from COP 26, the November plenary session of A Concertation for the Amazon presented a balance of the first week of the event and an assessment of the outlook for the final week of the Climate Conference. 

Izabella Teixeira, advisor to the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) and Fellow of the Arapyaú Institute, together with Ana Toni, Senior Fellow of CEBRI and Executive Director of the Institute for Climate and Society (iCS), both members of the Concertação, shared the debate with Samela Sateré-Mawé, a communicator from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB).

All three highlighted the maturity and growth of the participation of Brazilian civil society, which arrived more articulate and organized than in previous COPs, as did the sub-national governments. In particular, the increase in indigenous participation and its appreciation by all the participants was highlighted. Another important point was Brazil’s adherence to all the commitments under negotiation at the COP, such as the Forest Declaration, the Global Methane Gas Agreement and the Commitment to Abolish the Use of Coal as an Energy Source.

They also agreed that the first week was full of commitments and declarations of intent, highlighting the centrality that forests have gained in the climate debate. Among the commitments signed at this stage is the Forest Declaration, endorsed by more than 100 leaders, including governments and companies, promising to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, with the allocation of resources – a total of US$ 19.2 billion – for initiatives in this direction. The main global companies in the  commodities also signed a joint declaration, promising to end deforestation associated with the production and marketing of products such as soy, palm oil, cocoa and cattle. 

Izabella Teixeira highlighted as a positive point Brazil’s adherence to all the commitments under negotiation at the COP, such as the Forest Declaration, the Global Methane Gas Agreement and the Commitment to Abolish the Use of Coal as an Energy Source. For her, who was responsible for designing the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted by Brazil in 2015 to the Paris Agreement, it seems that the Brazilian government is re-evaluating its positions on the COP issues. On the other hand, while in the first week the negotiations are more technical, in the second the debate takes on political dimensions, with the start of ministerial meetings. And civil society, he said, will be following the negotiations.

Samela Sateré-Mawé highlighted the fact that indigenous peoples were able to speak, with the presence of a delegation of 40 indigenous people from all Brazilian biomes, as well as young people from all over the country, especially women. She commented on how the Brazil Climate Action Hub had become an important meeting point at the COP, attracting the attention of people from all countries and acting as a welcoming place for Brazilians, particularly indigenous people. This mobilization contrasts with the international perception of the Brazilian government’s performance on this agenda.

For her part, Ana Toni pointed to the negotiations on the implementation of two articles of the Paris Agreement as the great expectations for the second week: Article 6, which deals with the creation of a global carbon market, and Article 13, which establishes transparency mechanisms within the framework of the Climate Convention. And they all stressed what will really matter in the future: how the commitments made by the parties at this COP will be implemented. For them, there is no more time to lose. It is not possible to put off any of the measures agreed so far until the next COP.

Held in partnership with the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) and the Institute for Climate and Society (iCS), the plenary is available on CEBRI’s YouTube channel.