COP30: A Weekend That Doesn’t Slow Down in BelémBlue Zone: Where the World Negotiates Its Future

Even on the weekend, the diplomatic engine of COP30 keeps running at full speed. Inside the Blue Zone the restricted area for official delegations, diplomats and climate experts Saturday was marked by closed-door meetings, technical discussions and the first drafts of what may become new global climate commitments.

COP30: A Weekend That Doesn’t Slow Down in BelémBlue Zone: Where the World Negotiates Its Future

Countries continued to present or update their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), offering a snapshot of how seriously each government approaches the climate agenda. While several nations advanced their pledges, others remained silent, raising concern among negotiators. Progress across thematic tracks financing, energy transition, biodiversity and adaptation remains uneven, with clear stumbling blocks in decarbonization targets and carbon compensation mechanisms.

A Global Climate Action Task Force

The Brazilian presidency of COP30 officially launched the Global Climate Action Task Force, an innovative effort aimed at mobilizing governments, civil society, youth, Indigenous peoples, the private sector and academia around a continuous, collective climate agenda. More than a side event, the initiative seeks to build a permanent method of engagement that starts before the summit, permeates all its days and extends beyond it calling communities and territories to lead the transformation.

Green Zone: Culture, Innovation and Public Engagement

The Green Zone, hosted in Parque da Cidade, maintained a full schedule on Saturday with workshops, exhibitions, scientific activities and cultural presentations focused on bioeconomy, innovation and climate justice. On Sunday, however, the program pauses, giving way to alternative events in universities, cultural centers and partner institutions that traditionally gain prominence on the weekend.

The People’s Summit March: Voices That Resonate

One of the most powerful moments of the week came with the People’s Summit March, which brought an estimated 70,000 people into the streets of Belém. Under 30 °C heat, participants walked approximately 4 km, raising calls for climate justice, land rights and an end to environmental racism.

Indigenous leaders including Minister Sônia Guajajara joined activists from every continent. Public figures such as Camila Pitanga, Seu Jorge and Maria Gadú also took part, adding visibility to the cause. The march unfolded without major incidents, supported by reinforced public security and traffic control operations.

A point of tension surrounded the absence of Ailton Krenak, who chose not to participate and has openly criticized COP30 for what he describes as the “market takeover” of the climate debate. He also denounced the recent license granted to Petrobras to drill at the mouth of the Amazon River, highlighting contradictions between environmental discourse and political action.

At the BNDES House: Dialogue and Environmental Cinema

While the march energized the streets, the cultural agenda continued at BNDES House. On Sunday at 5 p.m., it will host the panel “Lutzenberger’s Legacy” as part of the CINECOP program. The discussion will feature Sérgio Xavier, special envoy to COP30; Dr. Irene Carniatto, a leading environmental educator; and Arnildo Schildt, a longtime articulator of socio-environmental projects. The event also includes the launch of the documentary “Regenerative Society”, filmed at Rincão Gaia, the ecological sanctuary created by José Lutzenberger.

Final Reflection

While negotiators inside the Blue Zone shape drafts that may guide the global climate agenda, it is in the surrounding spaces marches, forums and cultural hubs that public mobilization gains strength. The call amplified by the Global Climate Action Task Force shows that the transition depends not only on diplomatic agreements, but on a vibrant, diverse and sustained movement.

May COP30 become more than another conference may it mark the rise of a new planetary awareness.

Renato Zimmermann – Sustainable Business Developer and Energy Transition Activist

COP30: A Weekend That Doesn’t Slow Down in Belém

Blue Zone: Where the World Negotiates Its Future

COP30: A Weekend That Doesn’t Slow Down in BelémBlue Zone: Where the World Negotiates Its Future