Through the CAMAMAZON project, I have been following the federal government’s role in the negotiations and preparations for COP30, which will take place in Brazil. My focus has been to understand how “territory” appears—or fails to appear—in Brazil’s international strategies. For this reason, I chose to observe, more specifically, the work of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples (MPI).
The MPI has been involved in significant issues within the climate negotiations, such as mitigation and finance. But what caught my attention was its decision to make just transition one of its main areas of advocacy. In conversations with representatives of the ministry, I understood that, together with other ministries—known as the “social ministries” (Ministry of Women, Ministry of Racial Equality, Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, and Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture)—the MPI seeks to influence the COP30 presidency so that the just transition agenda goes beyond energy, and encompasses the systemic transformations needed to build a low-carbon economy that neither deepens inequalities nor violates human rights, especially territorial rights.
These ministries have been coordinating joint actions and created a committee to advocate directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. They also closely followed the discussions on just transition at COP29 in Baku, bringing forward points considered essential for their portfolios, with the aim of incorporating them into Brazil’s position in Belém.
In this context, during COP29 I decided to monitor this negotiation track more closely, both to observe the international debate and to analyse how these ministries, particularly the MPI, have positioned themselves and acted.
Back in Brazil, and considering the importance of broadening the debate on just transition within the country, we organised—through the Brasília Research Center (IREL/UnB) and the Research Group on International Relations and the Environment (GERIMA/UFRGS)—a hybrid workshop entitled “Just Transition in Brazilian Climate Policy: Transition to Where, and Fair for Whom?”, held on 24 April 2025. The aim was to foster dialogue among experts from academia, civil society, and the federal government, with a view to strengthening Brazil’s position in the climate negotiations, particularly ahead of SB62 in Bonn (June 2025).
The event brought together representatives from several ministries—the MPI, the Ministry of Racial Equality, the Ministry of Women, the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship, the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture—as well as organisations such as Plataforma CIPÓ, LACLIMA, ICS, and scholars including Cristiana Losekann (UFES), Lorena Fleury (UFRGS) and Emiliano Maldonado (UFRGS). Representing the Brasília Research Center and GERIMA were Verônica Korber Gonçalves, Jéssica Duarte, Pedro Lucas Siqueira de Oliveira, and Pietra Reis.
Broadening the climate debate
The workshop sought to broaden the approach to climate policies beyond the traditional focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Listening to the ministries made it clear that this is a profoundly political and social debate—not merely a technical one. For this reason, the active participation of these ministries is essential to achieving a more comprehensive and just transition.
The discussion revolved around two main questions:
- What does your organisation or institution consider central to the just transition debate that should be on the climate negotiation table?
- What public policies, actions, or good practices can help expand the notion of just transition beyond the energy dimension?
From the dialogue, four central themes emerged:
Systemic transitions. A just transition should be understood as a structural transformation of development models, not merely a shift in the energy matrix. It requires a profound reconfiguration of social, economic, and cultural dimensions.
Recognition of the most affected groups. It is essential to give prominence to the most vulnerable populations—Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, women, Black people, LGBTQIA+ individuals, persons with disabilities, among others.
Territories and traditional peoples. Territorial rights must be guaranteed and respected, not only because of the intrinsic connection to land but also due to the strategic role these groups play in environmental preservation and in tackling the climate crisis.
Information, training, and social participation. Access to information, leadership training, and broad social participation are indispensable for ensuring that the transition occurs democratically and in connection with local knowledge.
Brazil’s strategic role in the international arena, especially with COP30 taking place in Belém, was also widely acknowledged. Given the fragility of multilateralism and the insufficiency of current climate commitments, just transition may become a structuring axis of a new global pact—one that unites climate ambition with social justice. For this, strengthening social participation and guaranteeing territorial rights are central elements.
Just Transition: What Is at Stake?
The idea of just transition starts from the recognition that the transformation required to address the climate emergency cannot deepen inequalities or violate rights. Since its formal introduction into international negotiations—especially after the Paris Agreement (2015)—just transition has been interpreted in diverse ways by different countries.
At COP27, the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) was created to explore pathways to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals with an emphasis on equity, addressing not only energy but also employment, socioeconomic conditions, and social protection. This programme began implementation in 2024, with periodic meetings planned. At COP29 in Baku, little progress was made, but the theme remains on the agenda.
One point of tension in the negotiations is that countries defend their sovereign right to determine national strategies for transition, which often hampers more ambitious commitments. At the same time, there is growing pressure for just transition to go beyond energy and worker relocation, encompassing distributive justice in climate finance and the recognition of traditional knowledge and practices.
Increasingly, the debate on just transition intersects with climate justice, paying attention to structural and intersectional inequalities—such as race and gender, to the distribution of responsibilities, and to the need for participation by diverse social groups in decision-making processes.
Brazil’s Role
Brazil has sought to take a leading role on this issue. In the first letter of the COP30 presidency, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago highlighted the JTWP as a priority area for progress. According to him, “just transitions are essential to leverage climate action towards sustainable development and to address structural inequalities between and within countries, including in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity.”
Domestically, the country has advanced in incorporating just transition into strategic documents such as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), submitted in February 2025, the Pact of the Three Branches for Ecological Transformation, and the revision of the National Climate Plan.
As a result of the April event, a final report was produced, systematising the discussions and presenting policies and actions already under way that align with the just transition agenda. The full report can be accessed [here].
Next Steps
As a follow-up, we are organising a new seminar in October, during the Pre-COP in Brasília. This time, the focus will be on listening to Brazilian organisations and social movements, with the aim of understanding how they have articulated the notions of territory and just transition from their lived realities. The ministries have been invited to take part—this time, to listen. After all, just transition will only make sense if it is built with those who experience transformations in the everyday life of their territories.