The Amazon rainforest, vital for global climate regulation and biodiversity, faces escalating threats from deforestation, wildfires, and human activity, with over 88 million hectares lost between 1985 and 2023. Severe droughts and increased fires in 2023–24, driven by deforestation and crop burning, have not only accelerated carbon emissions but also jeopardized indigenous territories, pushing the ecosystem closer to an irreversible tipping point.

The Conference of the Parties (COP), the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has been at the forefront of global climate negotiations since its inaugural session in 1995. Despite landmark agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Climate Agreement, the urgency for decisive action has only intensified. Global carbon dioxide emissions have surged by over 60 percent since COP1, and 2024 has brought an alarming milestone: temperatures exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels for the first time, marking what is likely to be the hottest year in recorded history.

Against this backdrop, COP29 convened in Baku, Azerbaijan, with representatives from 198 nations and over 32,000 participants, including scientists, activists, indigenous leaders, and policymakers. This year’s summit, which took place last month, comes at a pivotal moment, particularly as Brazil, home to the largest share of the Amazon, prepares to host COP30 in Belém in 2025.