The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the leading international forum dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. Since 1995, the event has brought together 198 signatory countries of the Convention—one of the significant legacies of ECO-92—to discuss commitments, targets, and joint solutions to global environmental challenges.

Over the past three decades, the COP has become the cornerstone of multilateral climate governance, serving as the stage for decisive agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol (1997), the Paris Agreement (2015), and the establishment of international carbon market rules under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, approved during COP26 (2021) in Glasgow.

Brazil has played a historic role in this process. The country is recognized for its leadership in environmental diplomacy, beginning with the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (ECO-92), held in Rio de Janeiro. Under the leadership of then-Foreign Minister Celso Lafer, one of CEBRI’s founding members, and the coordination of Ambassador Marcos de Azambuja (1934–2025), the so-called Earth Summit brought together 172 delegations. It marked the beginning of a new paradigm of international cooperation. Lafer described that moment as a “solar moment of Brazilian diplomacy,” one that strengthened the country’s credibility and its voice in the global debate on the future of the planet.

In 2025, as Brazil hosts the COP30 for the first time in Belém (Pará), CEBRI is leading a series of initiatives and special content to reflect on the milestones that have shaped this universal agenda and on Brazil’s role in building sustainable, forward-looking solutions.

Follow CEBRI’s channels to stay informed about our actions and insights on the road to COP30.