In SP, Helder Barbalho advocates for the Global North to contribute to forest preservation through payments for environmental services
The Governor of Pará also highlighted the expansion of the hotel network and investments in infrastructure in preparation for COP30
The Governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, advocated on Wednesday (20), during the 26th Annual Santander Conference in São Paulo (SP), that countries in the Global North financially contribute to the preservation of the Amazon through payment mechanisms for environmental services. He also presented the State's advancements in preparation for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), which will be held in Belém, and highlighted Pará's transformation into a reference for sustainable development.
Helder Barbalho participated in the panel "Governance, Leadership, and Economic Development," where he defended the need for changes in the international charging logic regarding Brazil.
"Our country needs to seize this opportunity, so that the countries of the Global North do not point fingers at Brazil and say: 'you cannot develop because you have the mission of being just a sanctuary for the planet.' We have a productive, powerful, and sustainable agriculture. We can continue to advance in the energy renewal agenda, but they also need to pay for environmental services to preserve the forest. It is not possible for them to want the Amazon untouched without paying a dime, transferring to the Brazilian people the social sacrifice that represents not producing," he said.
Alongside governors Ronaldo Caiado (Goiás), Eduardo Leite (Rio Grande do Sul), and Romeu Zema (Minas Gerais), moderated by Ana Paula Vescovi, chief economist of Santander, Helder Barbalho also reinforced that forest preservation needs to be associated with improving the quality of life of those living in the region.
"They look at the treetops and do not remember that below them live 29 million Brazilians who need access to education, health, and sanitation. Brazil wants to continue to be a protagonist in agriculture and clean energies. We want to preserve the Amazon and other biomes, but developed countries need to finance this effort so that there is climate justice combined with social justice."
The Governor of Pará also emphasized the relevance of holding the climate conference in the Amazon, highlighting the symbolism of bringing the debate to the territory.
"The COP will be in Belém, it will be in Pará, in the Amazon, but above all it is an opportunity for Brazil to lead this agenda. It is not an ideological issue, of left or right. The environmental agenda is transversal. The climate impact does not choose a political field. The symbolism of holding the conference in the Amazon is extraordinary because it is here that the world needs to dialogue to build a sustainable tomorrow," he stated.
Preparation of Belém for COP30 - Helder Barbalho reinforced that the capital of Pará is currently receiving the largest volume of investments in its history, focusing on infrastructure, mobility, and hospitality.
"We are at the highest level of public investments in the city's history: R$ 5 billion. It is the largest package of macro-drainage, water supply, and sanitation, in addition to the urbanization of more than 600 streets in the outskirts of Belém. These are unprecedented urban parks in Brazil in quality and scale. We are also receiving new hotels, and tourism is already a reality, with a 15% growth in visitors from 2024 to 2025," he highlighted.
Regarding accommodation, the governor presented the leap in the network's capacity. "We have significantly increased the city's accommodation capacity, ensuring adequate conditions to host COP30. The challenge now is to curb price abuses and ensure that this network respects market rules, avoiding price gouging and ensuring balance for all."
Sustainable legacy - The governor recalled that Pará was chosen as the host of COP30 thanks to structural advances since 2019.
"The State, which was once seen as an environmental villain, now presents itself as a solution. We have traceability of rural production, state policies on land use and climate change, restoration concessions, and incentives for the bioeconomy. In addition, we lead the carbon market agenda, transforming Pará into a protagonist of a new model of sustainable development," he stated.
Finally, Helder made a call for national mobilization: "Embrace the COP in Belém, the COP in the Amazon. The success of the conference will be for the environment and also for Brazil, which will have the chance to lead the sustainability agenda with nature-based solutions, valuing indigenous peoples, riverside communities, quilombolas, extractivists, and producers. We have the Amazon rainforest and the wealth of the Brazilian people," he concluded.
Annual Santander Conference - The event brings together CEOs of the main companies in the country, national and foreign investors, and representatives of the public sector. The program includes 30 panels and more than 60 executives and authorities discussing topics such as sustainable development, trends in insurance, logistics and infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and Brazil's role in the global scenario.
The opening featured the CEO of Santander, Mario Leão, and the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, who spoke about the economic scenario, current challenges, and the measures adopted by the Government to provide Brazil with more investment opportunities.
