Demonstrations at COP30 reveal systemic failures, silenced Indigenous Peoples’ voices, and the widening gap between promises and reality.

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Demonstrations at COP30 reveal systemic failures, silenced Indigenous Peoples’ voices, and the widening gap between promises and reality.

COP30 in the Amazon-A Peoples’ COP Without the Peoples OpEd by Mitch Teofilo, Tebtebba Delegate to COP30

Belém, Para, Brazil - November 14, 2025 - Walking through the venue of COP30 in Belém, one could not ignore the multiple demonstrations erupting both inside and outside the halls. Far from mere disruptions, these actions symbolize the failure of states to meet their commitments under the UNFCCC framework. They expose the implementation gaps that have plagued climate negotiations for decades, where pledges are made with fanfare but rarely translated into meaningful action.

The irony of holding COP30 in the Amazon-the very biome that sustains global climate stability-is glaring. Indigenous leaders reminded us that the Amazon is collapsing under the weight of extractive industries, oil drilling, and corporate greed, even as negotiators inside spoke of “just transitions” and “renewable futures.” The Political Declaration of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin made clear that the forest itself is crying out, yet its defenders remain unheard.

Despite being called the “People’s COP,” systemic barriers ensured that Indigenous Peoples’ experiences were marginalized. UNFCCC’s own Executive Secretary acknowledged that the health of lands, waters, and skies is inseparable from the health of communities. Yet, this acknowledgment rings hollow when states continue to favor corporate interests over human rights. The demonstrations highlighted how states collude with extractive industries, perpetuating violations against communities whose territories are sacrificed for profit.

Climate finance was another flashpoint. While new pledges were announced at COP30, many activists questioned their credibility. Direct access to climate finance for communities and Indigenous Peoples was emphasized as essential, but the mechanisms remain opaque, bureaucratic, and tilted toward governments and corporations. Without direct flows, climate finance risks becoming another broken promise, reinforcing inequality rather than addressing it.

The issue of loss and damage loomed large. Communities across the world, including the Amazon,  are already experiencing extreme weather events, floods, droughts, and fires. Yet, discussions often reduce loss and damage to economic metrics, ignoring non-economic losses-the destruction of cultural heritage, spiritual ties to land, and the erosion of identity. These are losses that cannot be quantified in dollars, but they define the lived trauma of climate collapse.

The fossil fuel debate underscored the contradictions of COP30. While negotiators spoke of transitioning to renewable energy and ensuring a “just transition,” fossil fuel interests remained entrenched. The demonstrations made clear that without a decisive phase-out of fossil fuels, talk of renewables is empty rhetoric.

Ultimately, COP30 revealed the deep disconnect between the urgency of the climate crisis and the inertia of state-led negotiations. The Amazon, hosting this conference, is both a symbol of hope and a site of devastation. Its rivers, forests, and peoples remind us that climate justice cannot be achieved while corporate greed, systemic barriers, and state complicity dominate the agenda.

The demonstrations were not failures of diplomacy - they were acts of truth-telling and symbols of systemic failure. They remind us that climate justice requires listening to those most affected, dismantling extractive systems, and ensuring that finance and commitments reach communities directly. Anything less is another betrayal. As UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell noted, “We are not on track to meet the goals of Paris”. The protests made visible what negotiators often obscure: implementation gaps are widening, not closing.

p.s. A peoples’ march will happen in Belém on Saturday, November 15, 2025 , with 30,000-50,000 expected people to demand climate justice.

 

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