5th December 2025
Credit: UN Climate Change, Kiara Worth
COP30 took place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 24 November 2025. Belém sits at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest, a fitting backdrop for discussions on climate action and sustainable agriculture.
The outcomes were mixed. No consensus was reached on phasing out fossil fuels, and the issue was removed from the final negotiated text. But nearly 90 countries backed the call, which keeps momentum alive heading into next year’s First International Conference for the Phase-out of Fossil Fuels in Colombia.
The final package agreed in Belém called the Global Mutirão, meaning “collective effort,” included an agreement to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and reiterated that 1.5°C must remain within reach.
What else happened? Read the key insights from our team on the ground.
Food systems and agriculture: high visibility, limited progress
Food systems and agriculture featured prominently at COP30, which is to be expected given Brazil’s role as an agribusiness leader. Across plenary presentations, leadership dialogues and numerous side events, the strength and innovation of Brazil’s agricultural sustainability work came through clearly.
Despite this visibility, however, in the end, ‘food systems’ were not explicitly mentioned in the final Global Mutirão agreement. While the text referenced land rights, biodiversity, and deforestation, it stopped short of addressing the urgency of food systems transformation. Without a unified global protocol or plan for food system transformation, progress will depend on national decisions, private initiatives and civil society pressure, which lack the scale and cohesion of binding agreements.
(In the middle) Natalia Pinheiro Cêra, Brazil Country Manager, Bonsucro. Credit: World Climate Foundation
Countries did agree on indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation, despite objections from some countries about its lack of ambition. Formal negotiations on agriculture and food systems were inconclusive, and the parties agreed to reconvene in June 2026.
Some important new initiatives were launched, such as:
- Belém Declaration on Fertilisers: Launched by the UK and Brazil, this initiative calls for action to reduce the environmental impacts of fertilisers while ensuring food security.
- Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net Zero (RAIZ): Led by Brazil and supported by 9 other countries, RAIZ aims to restore degraded agricultural land, which accounts for around 20% of global farmland and offers huge benefits for food security and climate resilience. The financing model aims to unlock public-private financing and is supported by FAO, FOLU, the World Bank, and others.
Ethanol: strong momentum, but sustainability must lead the way
Brazil used its Belém platform to promote sustainable bioenergy, especially sugarcane ethanol. Ahead of COP30, a new initiative called ‘Belem 4X’, part of the COP30 Action Agenda was launched, which aims to quadruple global biofuel use by 2030 from a 2024 baseline. Twenty-three countries, including Brazil, India, Netherlands, Italy, have already backed the initiative.
But as ever, biofuels bring both opportunity and challenge. Concerns around land-use change and deforestation persist. That is why Bonsucro’s position is to support biofuels when they are produced sustainably and protected by robust safeguards. With the right frameworks: strong governance, transparent land-use planning, and credible certification with clear performance metrics, biofuels can deliver real climate and social benefits. We hope that a growing demand for sugarcane ethanol creates an opportunity to embed stronger sustainability requirements in future biofuel policy.
International standards need local adaptation, while social protection and regeneration remain critical
Another consistent message throughout the conference was the need to adapt international sustainability standards to local contexts. We learned that Embrapa, Brazil’s leading agricultural research institution, is developing low carbon protocols for crops such as soy and maize, and will soon begin similar work for sugarcane. Bonsucro’s close engagement will be vital to ensure our standards reflect local science and accelerate climate action.
Livia Ignacio, South America Regional Head, Bonsucro speaking at the Bonsucro-hosted event at COP30
COP30 also reinforced two themes that sit at the heart of what we do:
- Social protection: climate action and sustainability must safeguard the rights, health and livelihoods of workers and communities.
- Regeneration: restoring ecosystems, improving soil health and strengthening long-term resilience are fundamental pathways for sustainable production.
Hearing these themes discussed so widely confirms Bonsucro’s strategic focus is aligned with global needs. These themes will continue shaping the Bonsucro Impact Fund, where many existing projects already deliver valuable learnings.
Progress on just transition and adaptation finance
One of the most significant outcomes was the adoption of a Just Transition Mechanism. This is the first UN agreement that places social justice, labour rights, Indigenous rights, and equity at the centre of climate policy. Climate-vulnerable countries also secured commitments to scale up adaptation financing and monitoring, which helps communities already facing climate impacts.
Danielle Morley, CEO, Bonsucro in a panel at the CARICOM event
However, this is just a mechanism and not a formal pathway to phase out fossil fuel dependency through a just transition. It is a promising step, but not sufficient on its own. The real work begins now, as countries return home to develop and implement their commitments.
The recognition that climate solutions must be just and inclusive aligns with Bonsucro’s efforts to embed workers’ rights, health and safety into our standards and assurance processes. There is no time to lose. We must continue advancing together as we push forward towards 2030 and beyond.
Read more from our Road to Belém series
