On August 6 and 7, 2025, the National Congress of Brazil, in Brasília, hosted the II Parliamentary Summit on Climate Change and Just Transition of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), bringing together 50 parliamentarians from around 20 countries of the Global South. The meeting marked a decisive step toward building a regional parliamentary voice ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), to be held in November in Belém do Pará — the first COP to take place in the Amazon region.

Organized by the Parliamentary Observatory on Climate Change and Just Transition (OPCC), an initiative coordinated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) of the United Nations, the Summit was supported by Plataforma CIPÓ, Clima de Política, and Climate Parliament, and was held in partnership with the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate of Brazil.

Solemn opening and political message

The Solemn Session of the National Congress, titled “COP 30: 33 Years After the Earth Summit, 20 Years After the Kyoto Protocol, and 10 Years After the Paris Agreement”, marked the official opening of the II Parliamentary Summit on Climate Change and Just Transition of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Session invited participants to engage in a historical and political reflection on the key international milestones in the evolution of global climate governance, encouraging an understanding of the present through the lens of the past. It also reinforced the urgent call for this to be the decade of the effective implementation of existing environmental commitments.

Led by the Brazilian Senator Jaques Wagner, co-founder of the OPCC, the Solemn Session hosted COP 30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago; Brazilian Federal Congressman Nilto Tatto; and ECLAC’s Deputy Executive Secretary, Javier Medina Vásquez. They emphasized the importance of strengthening climate multilateralism and turning commitments into tangible results, valuing South-South cooperation and regional integration.

Ambassador Corrêa do Lago highlighted the trajectory of multilateral efforts since the Earth Summit and the significant scientific advances made in relation to climate change.

"This is a process that requires constant improvements. Since Rio-92, there has been a great transformation in science and in the economic impacts. The logic has been to highlight the historical responsibility of developed countries while also recognizing the needs of developing countries."

"This is a process that demands continuous improvement. Since Rio-92, science has advanced significantly and so have the economic impacts. The logic has been to underscore the historical responsibility of developed countries, while also acknowledging the pressing needs of developing nations."

The OPCC co-founder Senator Jaques Wagner urged legislators to take a leading role in the fight against the climate crisis, stating: "Real leadership goes beyond numbers. It is based on a vision that puts life at the center and recognizes that there is no sustainable future without social justice."

During the session, they delivered the Parliamentary Letter in Support of the COP 30 Presidency (available in the folder link in the right-hand sidebar) to the COP 30 Presidency. The letter was signed by 46 parliamentarians from 15 countries and by representatives of regional parliaments of LAC. In this document, Brazilian OPCC members and hosts of the II Summit invite their peers from the Global South to express their commitment to climate ambition, reaffirming their support for the negotiations and discussions that will shape the Conference of the Parties in Belém. The Letter highlights the importance of moving forward despite complex geopolitical, socioeconomic, and environmental challenges.

Public Hearing of the Senate’s Environment Committee

Following this, the Senate’s Environment Committee (CMA) held a Public Hearing as part of the first day’s agenda. The Hearing featured a keynote speech by COP 30 CEO Ana Toni, who spoke about COP 30 happening at the climate crisis epicenter and emphasized the importance of defending multilateralism.

The CEO stressed: "The Belém edition will be key in ensuring the acceleration of the Paris Agreement implementation. Now, COP 30 must inaugurate a new decade of implementation and climate regulation improvement."

The President of the Senate’s Environment Committee, Senator Fabiano Contarato, invited the presidents of equivalent committees from Argentina and Chile — members of the OPCC parliamentarians’ network — to share their perspectives on COP 30 and the work underway in their countries.

Senator Edith Terenzi, President of Argentina’s Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, and Senator Alfonso de Urresti Longton, President of Chile’s Committee on Environment, Climate Change, and National Assets, contributed to the discussion by underscoring the central role of parliaments in translating international commitments into legislation and public policies. Both stressed the importance of aligning national legislative agendas with just transition, climate finance, and intergenerational justice as defended by COP 30.

First day panels

On the afternoon of August 6, parliamentarians from various LAC countries participated in panel discussions.

The panel “A COP Guided by the Southern Cross: What Changes and What Can We Do Within the Scope of the Five Guiding Stars (Mitigation, Adaptation, Finance, Technology, and Capacity Building)?”, moderated by Congressman Nilto Tatto from Brazil, featured remarks by Senator Edith Terenzi from Argentina, Senator Cecilia Requena from Bolivia, Representative Juan Carlos Losada from Colombia, Senator Ricardo Lagos from Chile, and the British Virgin Islands Special Envoy, Eliezer “Benito” Wheatley.

The debates examined what is new and urgent at COP 30 compared to previous editions, and how Latin American and Caribbean parliaments can help deliver concrete results through legislation, budgets, and political coordination. Discussions also focused on the region’s opportunities, the importance of a Global South perspective, and pathways to a just transition that combines climate ambition with social inclusion.

The second panel, “The Role of Legislators in the Global Effort Against Climate Change: A Look at Constructive Collective Action”, was moderated by Brazilian Senator Leila Barros and brought together leaders of regional parliaments. Participants included Congressman Arlindo Chinaglia, President of the Mercosur Parliament (ParlaSur); Congresswoman Cecilia Nicolini, also from ParlaSur (Argentina); Congressman Rolando González Patricio, President of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (Parlatino); Andean Parliamentarian Gustavo Pacheco Villar, President of the Andean Parliament (Parlandino); and Senator Iván Flores, President of ParlAmericas.

Parliamentarians discussed the strategic role of collective legislative action in the face of the climate crisis and stressed the importance of inter-parliamentary cooperation and regional coordination, in the spirit of the “global mutirão”— a call for mobilization across all sectors of society issued by the Brazilian COP 30 Presidency. The panel also highlighted the potential of regional parliamentary bodies to consolidate a unified voice for Latin American and Caribbean legislators in defending climate justice and advancing a just ecological transition.

Technical presentations and contributions

The second day of the Summit began with ECLAC Deputy Executive Secretary Javier Medina presentation. He elaborated on the concept of anticipatory governance and the TOPP capacities (Technical, Operational, Political, and Prospective) which are key to drive the structural transformations the region needs to address the triple global crisis of climate, biodiversity, and social inequality. (Presentation file available in the right-hand sidebar)

Camila Gramkow, Director a.i. of ECLAC’s Brazil Office, presented OPCC’s progress, highlighting its role as a bridge between technical knowledge and legislative action, and outlining opportunities to expand its work. She explained that OPCC functions as: (i) a network for inter-parliamentary cooperation; (ii) a repository of legislative data from Latin America and the Caribbean available in the Legislative Monitor at opcc.cepal.org, with more than 2,600 records including environmental laws, bills, and climate change framework legislation; and (iii) a space for articulating and coordinating a common parliamentary voice from the region in major international climate forums.

Next, Mariana Rondon from Plataforma CIPÓ presented the proposal for a Parliamentary Constituency to be submitted to the UNFCCC in order to formalize the role of national parliamentarians in the climate agenda, ensuring constant participation in the processes of formulation and action. Lilia Chanoui from Climate Parliament followed, emphasizing the relevance of parliamentary engagement in turning climate ambition into concrete action, bringing perspectives from African parliaments’ challenges and experiences.

Thematic debates and priorities

After the technical contributions, a debate session was opened for all parliamentarians present at the Summit. Following an alphabetical order by country, each participant presented their views on priority topics.

First, moderated by Brazilian Congresswoman Duda Salabert, an OPCC member, brought together parliamentarians to discuss the need for innovative and ambitious responses to the climate emergency, responses that combine economic competitiveness and productivity with social equality and inclusion. The focus was on the role of parliaments in promoting a green and inclusive productive development model that reconciles economic growth, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

The second debate, moderated by Brazilian Congressman Nilto Tatto, also an OPCC member, sought to gather parliamentarians’ perspectives and proposals regarding priority topics, political messages, and common commitments to be included in the forthcoming OPCC Joint Statement, to be officially presented at COP 30 in November.

Parliamentarians from around 20 countries converged on key points of the climate agenda, including:

• The five pillars of climate action proposed by the COP 30 Presidency: mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology, and capacity building.
• The strategic role of legislators in implementing climate policies and promoting a just transition.
• Green productive development as a path to generate jobs, income, and social inclusion while avoiding new forms of economic or technological dependency.
• Regional integration and inter-parliamentary cooperation as tools for harmonizing legislation, sharing best practices, and strengthening common positions in international forums.

Interventions also addressed priority topics such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, strategic minerals, waste management, sustainable agriculture, biomes, water resources, access to clean water, and ocean protection.

Congressman Nilto Tatto summarized the discussions and outlined a preliminary structure for the upcoming Joint Statement, highlighting the role of the OPCC and ECLAC as technical bridges in supporting parliamentary action on climate challenges. He reaffirmed the commitment to collaboratively drafting the document to be officially presented at COP30.

Closing the II Parliamentary Summit, Brazilian Congresswoman Célia Xakriabá delivered a strong call to resist setbacks in environmental legislation, insisting that Indigenous peoples must be at the center of the climate agenda. She reaffirmed parliamentarians’ commitment to tackling the climate crisis and advancing a just transition that leaves no one behind, stressing that 'climate is a feminine word'—a reminder of the need to incorporate a gender perspective into this process.

Toward the Joint Declaration for COP 30

The Summit concluded with the consolidation of inputs for the Joint Statement of the OPCC, to be drafted in the coming months as a follow-up to the event and officially presented at COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil. The document will embody the consensus reached around shared principles and serve as a unified voice from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the broader Global South.

Legacy and next steps

The II Summit reaffirmed the OPCC’s role as a key space for political dialogue, legislative exchange, and the articulation of a common regional voice. In the coming months, efforts will focus on collaboratively drafting the Joint Declaration and preparing the OPCC’s participation at COP30, strengthening the contribution of parliamentarians from across the region and beyond to building a more productive, inclusive, and sustainable future.

WATCH THE EVENT AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

DAY 1: 08/06/2025

SOLEMN SESSION OF THE BRAZILIAN CONGRESS – COP 30 33 YEARS AFTER THE EARTH SUMMIT, 20 YEARS AFTER THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, AND 10 YEARS AFTER THE PARIS AGREEMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx0sGON5UK8  

PUBLIC HEARING OF THE SENATE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE - Keynote I – Overview of the Brazilian Presidency: COP 30 at the epicenter of the climate crisis and in defense of multilateralism 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DNUw-H6LaA  

DAY 2: 08/07/2025

[00:00:00 – 01:28:00] Keynote Ii – Levers For Climate Ambition and Implementation: Strategies for Green Productive Development and Anticipatory Governance for Future Transitions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAGJQfYyvk 

[02:04:00 – 03:34:27] DISCUSSION PANEL I – NEED FOR INNOVATIVE RESPONSES IN LAC: LEGISLATORS FOR GREEN AND INCLUSIVE PRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maAGJQfYyvk

[00:00:00 – 02:28:30] DISCUSSION PANEL II – DEFINING COLLECTIVE LEGACY OF LAC LEGISLATORS: A SHARED AGENDA FOR COP 30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKFxTH_TsZc

[02:28:30 – 03:09:04] OUTLINE PROPOSAL FOR THE OPCC JOINT STATEMENT FOR COP 30 AND NEXT STEPS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKFxTH_TsZc