Vice Governor Hana Ghassan participates in the launch of the 'Road to Belém' Program

One day before the start of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Vice Governor Hana Ghassan represented the Government of Pará at the launch of the 'Road to Belém' Program. The ceremony, held this Sunday (9) at the Emílio Goeldi Museum, officially announced a new donation from Switzerland to the Amazon Fund, amounting to 5 million Swiss francs, equivalent to R$ 33 million. The event also marked the beginning of the Switzerland Team's programming at COP30, reinforcing the prominence of the capital of Pará in the global climate agenda.

Attending the ceremony were the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), Marina Silva; the President of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aloizio Mercadante; the Executive Secretary of MMA, João Paulo Capobianco; the socio-environmental director of BNDES, Tereza Campello; the President of the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (Funai), Joênia Wapichana; the Swiss Ambassador to Brazil, Hanspeter Mock, and the Swiss Ambassador for the Environment, Felix Wertli.

“We are very happy to experience this moment when Belém is hosting the largest environmental event on the planet. It is a joy to host something so important: to talk about the Amazon in the heart of the Amazon. Welcoming the whole world and participating, together with Switzerland, in yet another contribution to the Amazon Fund, in projects for environmental combat and prevention, honors us and strengthens Pará's role as the home of COP30,” said Hana Ghassan.

With this new contribution, the country doubles the total value of its contributions, which now exceed R$ 60 million. The investment strengthens the world's largest financing instrument for actions to prevent and control deforestation.

Minister Marina Silva highlighted that the new contribution represents international recognition for the concrete results achieved by Brazil in reducing deforestation. “Every time we achieve a good result, we manage to raise funds. In these first three years of President Lula's government, we have avoided releasing more than 700 million tons of CO₂ (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere, due to the reduction of deforestation in the Amazon and the Cerrado. These results are catalysts for more resources, but above all, for more benefits for indigenous peoples, traditional communities, science, technology, and sustainable development,” said Marina Silva.

Science, innovation, and sustainable partnerships - The 'Road to Belém' Program, presented by Ambassador Hanspeter Mock, connects science, innovation, and sustainability in a series of actions leading up to COP30. The initiative aims to promote economic and social development through sustainable and shared solutions.

During the environmental conference, the Emílio Goeldi Museum will host more than 200 events and will be the Swiss House at COP30, with discussions on bioeconomy, forest management, traceable agriculture, and water resource governance.

“Through this partnership, we support the Federal Government's efforts to strengthen the capacity of environmental agencies responsible for monitoring, preventing, and combating illegal deforestation, environmental degradation, and forest fires. The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recently announced impressive results in reducing deforestation in the Amazon, achieving, in the last year, the third lowest rate ever recorded in the region's history. We feel honored to contribute to this progress and to walk alongside Brazil in this work,” said Hanspeter Mock.

Aloizio Mercadante emphasized that the Swiss contribution reinforces international confidence in Brazilian environmental governance. “Switzerland's new donation confirms that we are on the right track. The Amazon Fund has reached an unprecedented level: we have gone from about R$ 300 million annually to over R$ 1.2 billion per year in financing, supporting 650 institutions in 75% of the municipalities in the Amazon. Our challenge now is to transform the deforestation arc into the restoration arc, with science, technology, social inclusion, and international cooperation. Protecting the Amazon is protecting the future of the planet, and we do this together with those who believe in this agenda,” emphasized the BNDES president.

Global reference - Created in 2008, the Amazon Fund is a global reference in international climate cooperation, bringing together actions for environmental protection, sustainable development, and improving the quality of life in the Amazon region. Since the resumption of donations in 2023, the mechanism has already contracted an additional R$ 1.6 billion, increased the number of donors from three to nine, and benefited about 260,000 people through more than 600 community organizations and 144 projects.

Coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and operated by BNDES, the Fund is essential for meeting Brazil's climate goals, in alignment with the Paris Agreement and the Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm).

Switzerland is part of the group of donor countries, alongside Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the United States, Japan, Ireland, and the European Union, and its new contribution reinforces the governance model, transparency, and credibility that make the Amazon Fund a global reference in measurable results.