COP30 presidency kicks off ‘pioneering experiment’ to mobilise bottom-up collective climate action

COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago has unveiled his plan to mobilise a ‘global mutirão’ – a wave of bottom-up, self-determined and collective action – for the climate ahead of the November climate change conference in Belém.

In his second letter to the global community, the former Brazil climate negotiator says he has created a framework to allow “all members of the human family” to contribute to the fight against climate change with collective, immediate and action-focused initiatives – a global movement that integrates local action.

“Mutirão is much more than a joint effort or task force. This bottom-up and de-hierarchised form of mobilisation emerges spontaneously and organically when there is an urgent need that remains unmet. Mirroring actual experiences on the ground – be it in indigenous and urban Afro-descendant peripheric communities or other collectivities – the Global Mutirão framework will welcome individuals and organisations to present ‘self-determined contributions’ in using their expertise, time, and/or resources to sustainably address climate challenges, by means of interventions and positive impacts at all levels – from local to global. Analogous to nationally determined contributions (NDCs), ‘self-determined contributions’ will serve as bottom-up action,” he explains.

COP30 Leadership Circles

As part of the initiative, the COP30 presidency is inviting everyone from farmers, young people, cities and sub-national governments, technology companies and Indigenous Peoples “at all levels and geographies” to “come as you are and as you can be”.

The mobilisation will be supported by four Leadership Circles which will act independently alongside the COP30 negotiations, working to assist the presidency. The “Circle of COP Presidents” will be chaired by Laurent Fabius, President of COP21, which led to the adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement, bringing together the leadership from all COP presidencies since 2015 to advise the COP30 Presidency on how the international community can further strengthen global climate governance and accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The “Circle of Peoples” will be led by Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, to amplify the voices of Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, and Afro-descendant groups, advising the COP30 Presidency on how to deepen global recognition and integration of traditional knowledge, practices, and solutions into mainstream climate policy discourse.

'Prototypes of proactive governance'

The “Circle of Finance Ministers”, chaired by Brazil’s Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, will offer advice and actionable recommendations to the Presidency on climate finance issues. And the “Global Ethical Stocktake Circle” will be led by Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, to elevate global awareness through inclusive dialogues across diverse regions and spheres of society to serve as both an ethical compass and a pragmatic guide for this global mobilisation.

“As prototypes of proactive governance, the four Circles of Leadership can make waves of powerful ideas to strengthen the transformational potential of the flow of the Global Mutirão,” Corrêa do Lago wrote.

Seen as a beacon of hope at a time of accelerating climate crisis, COP30 will take place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21.