At the heart of the COP30 Blue Zone, a powerful conversation unfolded under the theme “A Solutions Agenda for Climate Action: Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Mining.” Organized by Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) and other partners, the event convened leading experts, policymakers, and civil society actors to examine practical pathways for accelerating the transition toward low-carbon, resilient economies.
The dialogue was structured in two sessions, the first focusing on the Global Stocktake (GST) and its lessons for implementation, and the second spotlighting key innovations emerging from COP30. While only the first session was fully held, both parts offered critical insights into the global climate process and its intersection with sustainable development priorities.
The first session, “General Assessment of the Global Stocktake, Legacies, and Lessons Learned,” featured a distinguished panel including Marta Torres-Gunfaus, Director of the Climate Programme at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI); Kaveh Gilanpour, Vice President for International Strategies at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES); and Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddinn, North-West Zonal Coordinator at CSDevNet.
The discussion centered on the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake (GST1), the world’s collective review of progress toward the Paris Agreement goals. Panelists underscored the GST’s pivotal role as a diagnostic and accountability framework for assessing global progress in mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
A key highlight of the discussion was the acknowledgment that 112 countries have now stepped forward to update or enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in response to the GST findings. This development, the speakers emphasized, demonstrates growing global commitment to stronger climate ambition.
However, the panelists cautioned that ambition without implementation risks rendering the GST symbolic rather than transformative. They called for a “GST of action,” one that informs tangible national policies, directs climate finance to where it’s most needed, and enables community-level transformation.
“The Global Stocktake must not end as a report, it must live as a roadmap,” emphasized Marta Torres-Gunfaus, capturing the collective sentiment of the panel.
Kaveh Gilanpour highlighted that the GST is not merely a technical process but a political opportunity to foster trust and cooperation between developed and developing nations. Ibrahim Muhammad Shamsuddinn stressed the importance of integrating local and grassroots realities into GST implementation, noting that community adaptation and resilience-building must remain at the core of national climate strategies.
The second session, “COP30 Innovations and Legacy,” was delivered solely by Marcelo Behar, Special Envoy for Bioeconomy at the COP30 Presidency. While other scheduled speakers were unable to participate, Behar offered rich insights into emerging priorities shaping the conference outcomes.
He announced updates on the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing long-term financing for the protection and restoration of tropical forests. The facility is envisioned as a global mechanism to channel resources toward forest-rich nations, ensuring that conservation goes hand in hand with community development and sustainable land-use practices.
Behar also addressed ongoing negotiations surrounding carbon credit systems, emphasizing the urgent need for integrity, transparency, and equitable benefit-sharing in carbon markets. He further pointed to responsible and sustainable mining and the just transition to low-carbon economies as critical areas of focus for COP30, acknowledging that these sectors will determine how nations balance economic growth with environmental sustainability.
“We are building the bridge between ambition and fairness, ensuring that the global transition leaves no one behind,” Behar noted, reflecting the inclusive vision of the COP30 Presidency.
Although the event’s structure was affected by last-minute logistical constraints, both sessions succeeded in underscoring a shared global truth: the success of the Paris Agreement now depends on implementation, accountability, and inclusivity.
From the Global Stocktake to the emerging innovations of COP30, the discussions reaffirmed the urgency of transforming commitments into measurable, people-centered outcomes. As the conference advances, the spirit of collaboration and responsibility voiced in this session will remain a guiding force for achieving a just, low-carbon, and resilient global future.