People's Summit in Belém rejects false solutions.

People's Summit in Belém criticizes capitalist model and false climate solutions.

Social movements gathered in Belém, in Pará, concluded this Sunday (16) the People's Summit, a parallel event to the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30). With around 20 thousand participants, the summit repudiated the so-called “false solutions” to the climate crisis and criticized the current capitalist model, which, according to the organizers, prioritizes corporate interests to the detriment of social and environmental justice.

Popular mobilization and demands

The meeting, which began on November 12th at the Federal University of Pará, featured an intense program, including panels, roundtables, and group activities. One of the most memorable moments was the boat parade on Guajará Bay, which brought together 5,000 people in 250 boats. In addition, a march brought together various social movements and mobilized approximately 70,000 people, according to the organizers.

Darcy Frigo, a member of the Political Commission of the Climate Summit, highlighted the importance of popular mobilization to pressure for effective change: “People saw in this mobilization the possibility of shouting louder, of shouting collectively in the face of the process that is taking place in the official space of COP30, from where we cannot expect solutions that are taking too long.”.

Commitments and expectations for COP30

Ambassador Correa do Lago, president of COP30, pledged to take the final declaration of the People's Summit to the official negotiation spaces of the conference, which begin the high-level session this Monday (17). He stated that he is confident that this will be the “COP of change”, reinforcing the need for a just and participatory transition in global modes of production.

Global context and impacts

The People's Summit takes place at a time of growing international pressure for nations to adopt more effective measures against climate change. The event in Belém highlights the dissatisfaction of sectors of civil society with official negotiations, considered slow and insufficient to contain the advance of global warming.

Besides Brazil, other regions of the world face similar challenges, such as Europe, which is experiencing the fastest warming on the planet, and where educational programs like "Greening" encourage environmental protection from childhood.