Despite Record Turnout, Only 14% of Indigenous Brazilians Are Expected to Access Decision-Making Spaces at COP30

Excerpt from earth.org

Indigenous peoples have converged on Belém to participate in the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which opened Monday. According to the Coalition of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), about 2,500 Indigenous representatives – the largest ever at a COP – are expected to attend. Yet only 14% (360 individuals) secured accreditation for the Blue Zone, the restricted area for official negotiations.

The previous record for Indigenous participation was set in Paris in 2015 and matched in Dubai in 2023, with about 350 Indigenous attendees each, according to COP30 organizers.

This turnout results from Brazilian initiatives to include as many peoples as possible in climate discussions. These include the Peoples’ Circle – an umbrella group for Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous and traditional communities – a dedicated pavilion in the Green Zone, and the COP Village, a camp welcoming participants from Tuesday.