Helder Barbalho and Arnold Schwarzenegger discuss subnational leadership and new green economy for tropical forests
Governor of Pará invites former governor of California to COP30, and advocates for reconciliation between environmental sustainability and social justice in the Amazon
The governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, participated this Friday (25), in São Paulo (SP), in the meeting "Dialogue on subnational leadership in climate and forests for a new economy in tropical forest regions," alongside actor and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The agenda was part of the parallel programming of Expert XP 2025, and brought together members of the Governors' Climate and Forests Task Force (GCF Task Force), an international network formed by subnational governments from tropical regions committed to forest preservation, sustainable economic development, and access to climate financing.
During the meeting, Helder Barbalho argued that the Amazon states have a strategic role in facing climate change and should be leaders in formulating solutions based on living forests, combining environmental preservation and social development. "We will only be able to preserve the Amazon if the peoples of the Amazon are preserved. The world needs to understand that environmental collaborations need to have the reciprocity of social collaboration," said the governor, who currently chairs the Consortium of Governors of the Legal Amazon.
Firmness against illegalities - Helder Barbalho also highlighted Pará's advances in combating deforestation and presented the main strategies of the State to consolidate a new green economy, based on valuing standing forests. "In 2018, Pará lost 4,400 km² of forest in one year. By 2025, we reduced that number to 1,400 km². This represents a 70% decrease in deforestation. This result is the fruit of a firm action against environmental illegalities and the construction of solutions that combine environmental protection, social inclusion, and opportunity generation," he reiterated.
The governor invited Schwarzenegger to participate in the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will be held in November 2025, in Belém, and presented the event as a window of opportunity to enhance global mobilization around bioeconomy, forest restoration, and carbon markets.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who governed California from 2003 to 2011, is one of the main advocates for the role of subnational governments in the global climate agenda. He emphasized that these entities are closer to the territories and communities and, therefore, have a greater capacity to implement effective public policies to tackle environmental challenges. "Subnational governments know the reality of the territories and are closer to the population. They are the ones who make things happen. It is essential that they have a voice and leadership in global discussions on climate and the environment," he reinforced.
The former governor also emphasized that COP30 has the potential to be a milestone in engaging society with the climate agenda. "COP30 has the potential to be a turning point. If we want real changes, we need to connect the climate debate with people, with everyday life, with solutions that make sense in real life," he added.
Also participating in the event were the governors of Amazonas, Wilson Lima, and Rondônia, Marcos Rocha, as well as representatives from the governments of Amapá, Mato Grosso, and Tocantins, all members of the GCF Task Force. The group currently includes 43 states and provinces from 11 countries, which together account for more than one-third of the world's tropical forests.
