This year’s Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in Belém, Brazil, at the heart of the Amazon basin — one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
For the first time, a COP is being hosted in the Amazon region, a place that symbolizes both the urgency and the opportunity of climate action: protecting nature, people and our shared planet.
Why is this significant?
COP30 represents a turning point. With just five years left to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement; governments, industry and civil society must accelerate action to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C.
Belem, where the forest meets the ocean, is a powerful reminder that land and sea are inseparable in the fight against climate change. Decisions taken here will shape the future of our blue planet — from mangroves and coral reefs to the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Marinez Scherer (Special Envoy for the Ocean)
For the first time, the official COP agenda will include a dedicated objective on ocean conservation and restoration — a historic step toward integrating the ocean into global climate action.
Representing this commitment is Dr. Marinez Scherer, Brazil’s Special Envoy for the Ocean. A marine biologist and coastal management expert, Dr. Scherer coordinates the Integrated Coastal Management Laboratory and serves as Associate Professor at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Rise Up’s Khadija Stewart interviewed Dr. Scherer in the run up to COP30, check out their conversation below.
Dr. Scherer’s appointment as Special Envoy is both a milestone and an honor — a clear signal of Brazil’s determination to place the ocean at the heart of climate negotiations.
At COP30, Marinez will act as a key liaison between the ocean community and the COP30 Presidency, ensuring that the voices, knowledge, and priorities of the ocean sector are heard at the highest level. Her leadership strengthens the bridge between science, policy, and practice — and embodies the spirit of collaboration that defines the RISE UP movement.
The Brazilian Presidency of COP30 is inviting the world to join a great global effort for climate action – not just as participants, but as co-creators of change. This call is a firm and inspiring summons to collective mobilization, bringing together governments, social movements, youth, Indigenous peoples, traditional communities, the private sector, academia and civil society. Each has an essential role in building a movement that transcends borders and connects territories.
Mutirão – meaning collective effort – is more than a theme; it’s a living, ongoing process that begins before, continues through and extends beyond COP30. It aims to transform the conference into a true milestone of civilizational change: creating spaces for active listening, strengthening ties between local and global action and valuing the diversity of voices and knowledge that shape our shared future. For RISE UP, mutirão embodies the essence of our movement: collective action for a thriving ocean and a just climate future.
Meet the RISE UP representatives
RISE UP is supporting four advocates to take part directly in COP30 – championing the inclusion of youth, coastal communities and Indigenous peoples in ocean-climate decision-making. Too often, others speak for communities; this time, local leaders are speaking for themselves, bringing lived experience and solutions into the room. These representatives are shaping the narrative for a just, blue future.
Meet the four fellows and follow their work throughout COP30 to help amplify their voices!
Can’t attend COP30 in person? Join us online.
The Virtual Ocean Pavilion provides a dynamic space for global participation – connecting ocean advocates everywhere to key discussions, events, and ocean-climate updates from Belem. Explore interactive sessions, live streams and exclusive interviews throughout the conference.
This year’s Pavilion offers a rich program of inspiring events, expert roundtables, and interactive experiences showcasing the ocean’s vital role in climate action, and RISE UP has its own booth.
The Pavilion is open until 21 November 2025, with on-demand content available through 22 December 2025.
During COP30, RISE UP aims to make the ocean an integral part of climate action by channelling funding, ambitious blue commitments, strengthening the biodiversity-climate-ocean nexus and elevating frontline voices.
See the “Frontlines of the Blue Future” exhibition (also in the Virtual Ocean Pavilion RISE UP booth)
Watch the recording of our webinar: ” Cross-Regional Ocean-Climate Action: Bridging Science and Traditional Knowledge”.