The UN Climate Change Conference: significant civil society participation

Translated by Mariateresa Tauro

COP30 has taken place in Belém, in the heart of Amazonia. This place has been repeatedly scarred by deforestation, symbolising a total lack of respect for our planet and its resources.

But it is precisely Amazonia, with all its fragility, that represents the green lung that allows us to have an acceptable and pleasant climate, suitable for all our daily activities.

Therefore, Amazonia becomes the ideal location to discuss the planet’s problems and their probable solutions. During the three previous conferences, the voice was mainly given to institutions and governmental delegations. But COP30 has finally handed the floor to civil society, which has clearly expressed the urgency to act to save ourselves from climate change.

We know that nowadays our planet needs us, that we cannot turn away. During COP30, civil society has expressed all its indignation for the environmental problems that are too often overlooked. It was finally time for the population to express its own opinion, to manifest and to make its voice heard loud and clear.

The true innovation during COP30 is indeed the extraordinary participation of civil society, common people, associations, and all those who are more affected by climate change, but who are not taken into consideration when they propose solutions to mitigate its effects.

A new role for civil society is thus emerging. For the first time, an active role and at the forefront.  For the first time, the demands of all stakeholders have been represented: the demands of all those who truly care about the planet and its health, and seek to restore nature to the way it was before humans ruined it, perhaps forever.

Even experts who took part in COP30 affirmed that “For the first time, governments, companies, investors, cities, indigenous populations and civil society have collaborated on a single coordinated action agenda focused on continuity, science, transparency and concrete results, with the support of Activation Groups composed of cross-sector experts”.

“What we explained in Belém is that climate action is shifting gears, accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with cities decarbonising, companies redesigning supply chains, financiers redirecting billions of dollars, and indigenous peoples promoting forest protection. This effort by society as a whole will not stop when the elections are over: it will continue, unceasingly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," said Dan Ioschpe, Climate High-Level Champion for COP30. He views the new role of civil society and its strong commitment to respecting and ensuring that its political representatives respect their commitments to a better climate as very positive.

It can be said that civil society has never been so present, so ready to support the authorities and political decision-makers on the long road to finally achieve a clean and livable planet.  There is a great desire to collaborate and cooperate for our planet, animals, and ourselves, because we only have one world in which to live, and we must respect and care for it.

A small fleet of indigenous people, with their own canoes, protested against climate change and deforestation in Amazonia.  They made it into the conference rooms and, for the first time, the whole world became aware of these populations who live in constant contact with nature and have much to teach us about how to mitigate the damage caused by climate change. For the first time, we realised that all technology and progress are useless unless they are used for the good of our planet and all the creatures that inhabit it. This is the message shared by civil society at the conference.

In conclusion, civil society does not want to be excluded anymore. It wants to participate and be committed to make our planet a better, cleaner and more welcoming place to live.  The significant partecipation to COP30 has demonstrated that valid ideas may come from even the most humble people, and are often the best ones.

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