What We Can Learn from the Amazon Climate Summit

If the effects of climate change were not already apparent, this past summer shows what lies in store for the future. The summer of 2023 was the hottest since global records began in 1880, measuring 0.41 degrees Fahrenheit (0.23 degrees Celsius) warmer than the previous hottest summer in 2019. This number fails to capture the true havoc wreaked across the world from June to August. Deadly heat waves raged across much of the globe while drought and flooding also became more common in the Western Pacific and Eurasia, respectively. Canada’s record-breaking wildfire season displaced tens of thousands of people, created hazardous air quality conditions across North America, and released 410 megatons of carbon. The previous worst season in 2014 released just 138 megatons. 

 With record-breaking year after record-breaking year, the effects of climate change have become increasingly unavoidable. The Paris Climate Accord, adopted in 2015, which requires signatories to create goals for greenhouse gas emission reduction, was a critical step toward action, but global temperatures continue to rise. The most recent multilateral attempt at climate action in August of 2023 brought together the leaders of eight South American countries that are home to one of the most important ecosystems in the world: the Amazon rainforest. While the meeting itself was important for future cooperation, the lack of concrete measures taken by the Amazonian nations is troubling for future climate action. 

The Belém Summit

Over a two-day summit in August in the northern Brazilian city of Belém, the eight South American countries who share the Amazon rainforest–Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela–gathered to discuss ways to prevent the destruction of this vital ecosystem. These eight nations comprise the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), an intergovernmental organization founded in 1995 to “promote the harmonious development of the Amazonian territories.” Despite its multi-decade existence, the summit in August was only the ACTO’s fourth time convening and the first in 14 years. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Colombian President Gustav Petro, advocates on the international stage for stronger environmental protection, attended the summit personally. Recent policies in Brazil and Colombia resulted in a 34% and 29% reduction in deforestation, respectively. So, for supporters of strong climate change policy, the event seemed promising.

One critical development was the inclusion of various indigenous rights activist groups at the summit. Notably, indigenous peoples secured two key victories: an acknowledgment of their rights to traditional territory and the formal participation of indigenous peoples in the ACTO. 

The summit also saw the creation of a scientific body that will meet annually and issue reports on the Amazon rainforest. The ACTO agreed to cooperate on water management, health, and sustainable development. However, due to the potential of the summit agreement, the Belém Declaration, to protect the Amazon, critics argue that the 10,000-word agreement fell short of necessary action to fight climate change. 

Promises Unfulfilled

Going into the summit, left-wing Colombian President Petro aimed to end new oil development in the Amazon. Petro, however, faced resistance from multiple delegations at the summit, including Brazil. Fellow left-wing President Lula has failed to issue a definitive stance on oil, instead claiming that the decision is a technical matter. While this statement is unclear, his climate priorities are at odds with other policy goals. Instead of committing to Petro’s policy to end oil development, Lula’s government seems content to keep its options open. Policymakers might be hesitant to make the serious commitments necessary to combat climate change when the opportunity costs are too high, furthering the magnitude of climate change. 

The Belém Declaration also failed to extract a commitment from all ACTO nations to end deforestation by 2030, which Brazil and Colombia have already declared. Instead, similarly to the Paris Climate Accord, the Amazon nations were allowed but not obligated to set their own individual deforestation goals. While some Amazon nations such as Bolivia and Venezuela prefer this outcome because the rainforest’s natural resources are crucial to their developing economies, critics argue that the lack of a concrete plan is detrimental to the protection of the rainforest. 

The Future of Climate Cooperation

For the eight ACTO nations, the Belém summit represents a crucial first step in guaranteeing the protection of the Amazon rainforest. The agreement outlines future cooperation where more actions can possibly be taken such as the end of new oil developments or a timeline to end deforestation. For now, the increased solidarity among the Amazon nations should make their bargaining position stronger at the upcoming COP 28 climate conference in November, where they will seek to acquire financial support from wealthier nations for forest protection.

While the shortcomings of the Belém Declaration might be perceived as limited to this single summit, recent global climate cooperation has also failed to achieve its intended results. John Kerry’s visit to China as the U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change in July 2023 was stifled by broader U.S.-China tensions. A report issued by the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in September of 2023 warns that the world is not on track to meet the Paris climate agreement targets to limit global warming. Although arenas for cooperation such as the Belém summit are necessary to fight climate change, the question remains: is this kind of action sufficient given the dangers of a warming planet, or could it be too little too late?