ACT at COP30

UN Climate Conference Comes to the Amazon

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is a global event bringing together governments, diplomats, and NGOs to tackle the growing threat of climate change.

“The parties” are the 168 countries, plus the European Union, who ratified the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Since then, each COP has focused on assessing the global progress of climate agreements and negotiating new initiatives.

For the first time, the conference (COP30) will be held in Belem, Brazil, known as the gateway to the Amazon - one of the world’s most critical ecosystems. The Amazon is also the center of our work, and we’re excited to share solutions from the forest on the global stage alongside our indigenous partners.

Amazon Conservation Team at COP30

For nearly three decades, we’ve partnered with indigenous and local communities in Brazil, Colombia, the Guianas and beyond to protect tropical forests and strengthen traditional culture.

As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT) will be a powerful advocate for conservation models rooted in ancestral knowledge, territorial integrity, and social justice.

pLACE HOLDER

Our Global Message from the Forest

Our presence at COP30 will underscore three key aspects of our work:

The full protection of Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact (PIACI)

The health of the forest and Indigenous communities are interdependent

The health of the forest and Indigenous communities are interdependent

Isolation is Protection (alternate title: the right to exist)

The Amazon is home to more Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation than anywhere else on Earth. These uncontacted communities have chosen to remain apart from the outside world and inhabit some of the planet’s most biodiverse and vulnerable ecosystems. Contact can be devastating—bringing disease, displacement, and cultural collapse.

ACT works closely with neighboring Indigenous communities to protect isolated peoples and their territories. As the Technical Secretariat of the International Working Group on Indigenous Peoples in Isolation and Initial Contact (GTI-PIACI), we’ve helped secure major protections. In Colombia, this included the formal recognition of the Yuri-Passé peoples and the safeguarding of 3.3 million acres of ancestral forest.

Learn more about the isolated tribes

Indigenous Territories Are Key to 30x30

To achieve the global goal of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030, we must recognize the vital role of Indigenous and local communities. These territories are already conserving biodiversity and slowing climate change—often without formal recognition or support.

ACT has helped expand or create Indigenous reserves across more than 2.9 million acres, and over 9.9 million acres have been placed under sustainable management.
At COP30, we’re advocating for legal and political recognition of these conservation efforts, along with funding and monitoring systems that respect land rights and traditional governance. Real climate solutions must start in the territories.

Read our Stories of Territorial Justice

Forests, Communities, and One Health

Healthy forests mean healthy communities. ACT champions a One Health approach that connects human well-being, ecosystem health, and ancestral knowledge—placing women and traditional leaders at the center.

At COP30, we’re highlighting how Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local communities not only live in tropical forests, but are their primary protectors. Securing their land rights is essential for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and public health.

ACT is developing a regional initiative that integrates One Health, women’s leadership, and territorial governance—building bridges between science, tradition, and policy for a healthier planet.

Learn why women are vital to protecting the Amazon