Climate action
COP30 in Belém: Where the forest becomes the world stage
In November 2025, the world's attention turned to Belém, the gateway to the Amazon. For the first time in history, the UN Climate Change Conference took place in the heart of the world's largest rainforest – where, for decades, people like Chico Mendes have risked their lives to protect nature.
Slash-and-burn farming in the Amazon region
COP30 is more than a climate summit: it is a historic moment in which the voices of those who have been preserving the forest for generations will be heard. Belém will become a stage for the local people, for the indigenous communities, for those who, with their bioeconomic approach, prove that climate protection cannot succeed without the ones who live in harmony with nature. By addressing many relevant topics – from renewable energies and forest protection to indigenous peoples – the conference invites the world to shape the future together.
KfW has been active in Brazil for around 60 years. KfW's funding projects focus on protecting the rainforest and combating deforestation, supporting renewable energies and green mobility concepts.
When it comes to protecting biodiversity, KfW takes a human rights-based approach and also ensures that indigenous peoples and local communities are involved. You can find out more about some of the projects supported by KfW at the bottom of this page.
In the film accompanying KfW's participation in COP30, Rosa Lemos de Sá, Secretary General of the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund, reiterates the importance of the conference and her expectations for it.
KfW - Cooperation to protect world's climate
Source: KfW / Thomas Schuch
Raimundo Mendes: The living legacy of a hero
Raimundo Mendes de Barros
Raimundo Mendes de Barros, known as “Raimundão,” is 79 years old—and his fighting spirit remains unbroken. As Chico Mendes' cousin, he survived the bloody conflicts of the 1980s, during which his famous relative was murdered. “Chico's murder did not stop the fight, on the contrary!” says Raimundão in a firm voice. His determination to continue fighting for social and environmental justice remains strong – even if advancing climate change appears to be an even greater adversary than the large corporations of the past.
A life for the forest
Source: KfW / Thomas Schuch
Bioeconomy: Managing the forest without destroying it
Tree nursery near Xapuri
An economic model is emerging in the Amazon that is turning Chico Mendes' vision into reality: the bioeconomy combines traditional knowledge with modern markets and proves that standing forests are worth more than felled ones. Rubber, once a symbol of exploitation, is experiencing a renaissance. Indigenous communities are once again tapping latex from rubber trees – in the traditional way, but this time at fair prices and with the support of companies such as sports shoe manufacturer VEJA, which purchases 700 tons of wild rubber from the Amazon annually, with an upward trend.
Ranger at meeting
Ecotourism is opening up further prospects: near the Tapajos River, locals have created an attractive route through the jungle. Those who walk it will encounter ancient sequoia trees, playful monkeys, crystal-clear swimming spots, and fascinating views from viewing platforms – and cannot help but appreciate nature. The rangers employed in nature and fire protection want to develop this into a thriving ecotourism project, with all proceeds going to the local village.
Forest nature trail
“For us traditional people, forests, rivers, fish, and trees are important,” says Arimar Feitosa Rodrigues, furniture production coordinator at the Coomflona cooperative, adding: “Without them, we are nothing.”
Sustainable furniture made from dead wood and fast-growing trees, as produced in a carpentry located in the middle of the rainforest, represents a third pillar of the bioeconomy: artisanal value creation that preserves cultural heritage while generating income. Studies by the World Resources Institute estimate the annual potential at up to US$8 billion if local communities are fully involved.
Rubber tap
The film follows rubber tappers at work, rangers on a trek through the new route in the rainforest, and carpenters who create new furniture from old wood—visual evidence that the forest lives on if given the chance.
Bioeconomy in the Amazon
Source: KfW / Thomas Schuch
The guardians of protected areas: ICMBio managers on the front line
Brazil's protected areas are the backbone of nature conservation – and the people who manage them are the unsung heroes of this story. The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) manages protected areas throughout Brazil, which together cover an area larger than Germany. At their helm are managers who overcome challenges on a daily basis: from illegal logging and political pressure to chronic underfunding.
Head of Protected Areas
Source: KfW / Thomas Schuch
Mauro Oliveira Pire
Mauro Oliveira Pires, Brazil's National Director for Protected Areas, embodies this dedication. KfW has been supporting ICMBio for years through various tropical forest conservation programs.
“Under Bolsonaro, there were massive setbacks,” says Pires, “but since 2023, under President Lula, we have increased our staff, created eight new protected areas, and reduced deforestation in the protected areas by 62 percent.”
Three strong women: Indigenous wisdom as a guide
Aldeise da Silva Mendonca
Three indigenous women exemplify the connection between traditional knowledge, nature conservation, and successful climate protection in Brazil.
Aldeise da Silva Mendonca, an agroforestry consultant, teaches sustainable agricultural methods based on intergenerational knowledge both within and outside indigenous communities. In doing so, she not only protects the biodiversity of the rainforest, but also preserves habitats and creates alternative sources of income.
Guardians of the global climate
Source: KfW / Thomas Schuch
Francisca Arara
Francisca Arara, an activist from the Arara people, has been campaigning for years for the recognition of indigenous land rights and resistance to deforestation. Her efforts have led to traditional territories being officially protected, thus preserving key ecosystems from destruction.
Joenia Wapichana
There are now also strong indigenous advocates at the government level. Joenia Wapichana, current National Secretary for Biodiversity, Forests, and Animal Rights in the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment, is committed to protecting biodiversity, sustainable forest management, and the rights of indigenous communities. Under her leadership, environmental laws have been modernized, reforestation projects promoted, and indigenous perspectives more strongly integrated into Brazil's national environmental policy.
Together, these women demonstrate that indigenous expertise and self-determination make a decisive contribution to protecting nature and the climate worldwide.
Win-win in Brazil: climate protection and economic development
KfW at COP30 in Belém
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP30 World Climate Conference for short – took place from 10 to 22 November 2025, in Belém, Brazil.
Read moreThe examples show that climate protection and economic development are not contradictory: rubber tappers who receive fair prices, rangers who create new prospects through sustainable tourism, and carpenters who combine value creation with forest conservation. KfW has been supporting these approaches for years – by financing protected areas, establishing cooperatives, and promoting local communities. COP30 offers the opportunity to raise international awareness of these successes and attract further partners. Because protecting the Amazon is not a romantic vision, but a concrete task – with measurable results, committed people, and realistic prospects for the future.
Published on KfW Stories on 7 November 2025
The described project contributes to the following United Nationsʼ Sustainable Development Goals
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
In the period between 2007 and 2012, lower-income groups experienced stronger income growth than the higher-income groups in many countries of Asia and Latin America. This is a good indicator that inequality in the world is decreasing because less inequality is an important prerequisite for taking advantage of peoplesʼ economic, scientific and social potential.
All United Nations member states adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015. At its heart is a list of 17 goals for sustainable development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our world should become a place where people are able to live in peace with each other in ways that are ecologically compatible, socially just, and economically effective.
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