Presented as the “COP of implementation,” the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Belém ended on a sour note and with a sense of incompleteness. The expected decisive progress did not materialize: no operational agreement was reached on adaptation financing, no firm decision was made on phasing out fossil fuels, and no credible roadmap emerged to end deforestation. For many delegations, particularly those from Africa, the prevailing sentiment was one of missed opportunity.

"Africa has come to demand justice."

Greenpeace Africa reacted strongly to these findings. "Africa came to demand justice, but politics chose compromise," the organization said in a statement.

For Carolina Pasquali, Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil, the contrast is striking between the ambitions declared by the host country and the compromises obtained: “President Lula set the bar high by calling for roadmaps to end fossil fuels and deforestation. The fractured multilateral system failed to rise to the occasion. We were at a crossroads: put the 1.5°C target back on track or head towards catastrophe. Some states are ready to act while others are slowing down the process,” she said.

Ms. Pasquali acknowledges some progress, including the demarcation of Indigenous lands, increased visibility for Indigenous peoples, and greater awareness of forestry issues, but believes these are insufficient to reverse the trend. "Brazil has opened its doors to the world. But we would have liked to see a credible roadmap toward the 1.5°C target as well. The work continues," she maintained.

Climate justice: The African continent feels "backed into a corner"

The assessment is equally harsh at Greenpeace Africa. Koalle Monaheng, Political Advisor, believes that failing to explicitly name the root cause of the crisis—fossil fuels—is tantamount to “exacerbating the injustice.” “We missed the opportunity to reconnect with the spirit of Rio 1992, where the biggest emitters committed to reducing their emissions first,” he emphasizes, denouncing a system where the rules are written by the West and trampled by the very people who formulate them.

Thirty years after the Convention of the Parties, twenty years after Kyoto, ten years after the Paris Agreement, Koalle Monaheng laments that "justice and fairness remain unfulfilled promises," raising a fundamental question: "which lives matter?"

On the Oil and Gas side, the judgment is bitter. According to Sherelee Odayar, Campaign Manager at Greenpeace Africa, African countries once again find themselves "backed into a corner".

She denounces the implicit position of some developed countries: no robust agreement on mitigation, no progress on adaptation. "It's immoral," she asserts. The stated goal of tripling adaptation funding by 2035 is considered "far too late" for countries already severely impacted by disasters. Odayar advocates a clear solution: "make the oil and gas companies pay." Responsible for the crisis and beneficiaries of record profits, they must be "held accountable without conditions or excuses."

The urgent need to protect forests

Bonaventure Bondo, Forests Campaign Manager at Greenpeace Africa, noted that hosting the COP in the heart of the Amazon presented a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the forest emergency. He emphasized the importance of formalizing a global plan to halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, a task that now depends on "rapid and concerted implementation." Large tropical forests, particularly the Congo Basin, must be protected "in proportion to their vital role."