In November 2025, COP30 will take place in the Brazilian state of Pará, a founding member of the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force (GCFTF). Representatives from many GCFTF member jurisdictions will be featured in events throughout COP30 and in pre-COP events in Rio de Janeiro. Our Global Secretariat is organizing several exciting key events! See below for our full COP30 itinerary, and be sure to check back for updates.

PRE-COP EVENTS │Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

COP30 LOCAL LEADERS FORUM

DATE: 3 – 5 November 2025
LOCATION: Rio de Janeiro
ORGANIZERS: Bloomberg Philanthropies, COP30 Presidency
PARTNERS: Under2 Coalition, Regions4, GCFTF, ABEMA, European Committee of Regions, US Climate Alliance, Institute for Climate and Society

The COP30 Local Leaders Forum united mayors, governors, and subnational officials from around the world to showcase how local action is driving global climate progress.

The full itinerary can be found here. See here for participation by GCFTF Governors and Delegates.

COP EVENTS │Belém, Brazil

Tuesday, November 11

LAUNCH
Amapá Bioeconomy Launch

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 8:30 – 10:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Green Zone, Amazônia Pavilion

UNFCCC SIDE EVENT
From the Ground Up: Leveraging Subnational Leadership and Investments to Deliver Climate and Nature Commitments

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 9:30 – 11:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, Nature Pavilion
ORGANIZERS: Regions4, GCFTF, Nature4Climate, Under2 Coalition, ABEMA

The high-level roundtable will spotlight subnational governments – states, provinces, and regions – as essential implementers of national climate and biodiversity goals. By translating national commitments into territorial action, subnational actors drive just resilience, biodiversity protection, and sustainable investments. The session will showcase how regions are advancing NDCs, NAPs, and NBSAPs through integrated, nature-positive approaches, setting the stage for COP31 ambition.

*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

Moderators :           Natalia Uribe, Secretary General, Regions4

Colleen Scanlan Lyons, Senior Director, GCFTF

Rosa Maria Vidal, GCFTF Mexico & Pronatura Sur

• • • • Helder Barbalho, Governor of Pará, Brazil
      • Nigar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High Level Champion
      • Jean Lemire, Envoy for Climate Change and Nordic and Arctic Affairs for Quebec
      • Gillian Martin, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Government of Scotland
      • Andréa Vulcanis, Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development, State of Goiás, Brazil
      • Ewan Botha, – Member of Executive Council, Gauteng Department of Environment, South Africa
      • Wilson Lima, Governor of Amazonas, Brazil
      • Sonsoles Letang, Director General for Climate Change and Environmental Quality, Catalonia, Spain
      • Marcelo Jaramillo Calle, Prefect of the Province of Cañar, member of the General Assembly, and representative of the Climate Change Commission of CONGOPE. 
      • Mrs. Jessica Hitt, Senior Director Adaptation and Resilience, Climate Works
        
      • Bernado Rossi, Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development, State of Rio de Janeiro 

LAUNCH
Amazonas Bioeconomy Launch

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 10:30 – 11:45 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, Amazonas Governors’ Consortium Hub
*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

UNFCCC SIDE EVENT
Revaluing Ecosystem Stewardship: The Solution to a Just Climate Future

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 11:30 – 13:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, Side Event Room 4
ORGANIZERS: Nature & Culture International, Health In Harmony, Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests
*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

 Moderator:   Matt Clark, Executive Director, Nature & Culture International

PANEL
Amazon Socio-Bioeconomy: Subnational Strategies for Sustainable Development

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 13:30 – 14:30 UTC-3
LOCATION: Parque de Bioeconomia
ORGANIZERS: The Nature Conservancy Brasil, GCFTF, State of Pará (Brazil), Coalizão Clima Floresta e Agricultura, Instituto Arapyaú, The Nature Conservancy, Conselho Empresarial Brasileiro para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEBDS), Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Brazil

PANEL
From the Amazon to the Pacific: Forest Protection, Community Engagement, and Jurisdictional Governance in Colombia & Ecuador

DATE: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
TIME: 16:30 – 18:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: House of Biodiversity and Climate (Instituto Tecnologico Vale)
Rua Boaventura da Silva 955, Belém, PA, 66055-090
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Nature & Culture International

Climate impacts and solutions do not stop at national or subnational borders. In fact, subnational governments and governmental networks like the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force are increasingly working to connect the complex realities they must face together to advance a New Forest Economy. This panel will feature discussions from leading governments and partners on the interconnectedness of the Amazon River Basin and the Pacific regions of Colombia and Ecuador.

Moderators:            Jason Gray, Project Director, GCFTF

Matt Clark, Executive Director, Nature & Culture International

• • • • Governor Luis Francisco Ruiz (Caquetá, Colombia)
      • Prefect Tiyua Uyunkar (Morona Santiago, Ecuador)
      • Prefect Marcelo Jaramillo Calle (Cañar, Ecuador)
      • Governor Nubia Córdoba (Chocó, Colombia)
      • Juan Carlos Jintiach, Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
      • Nasly Fernanda Vidales, Subsecretaria de Medio Ambiente (Valle del Cauca, Colombia)
      • Mónica de los Ríos Santos (Earth Innovation Institute)

Wednesday, November 12

PANEL
Case studies in Jurisdictional REDD+: In-depth Exchange between Leading States from Brazil and Mexico

DATE: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
TIME: 15:00 – 16:15 UTC-3
LOCATION: House of Biodiversity and Climate (Instituto Tecnologico Vale)
Rua Boaventura da Silva 955, Belém, PA, 66055-090
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Pronatura Sur, ABEMA

This panel will feature leading state government leaders from Brazil and Mexico, along with key technical, financing, and policy partners to discuss the state-of-play with existing and emerging jurisdictional REDD+ programs. This will include discussions around leading carbon market standard ART/TREES, the LEAF Coalition, and best practices guidance for implementing high integrity programs.

Moderators:  Carlos Aragon, GCFTF Brazil Director
Rosa Maria Vidal, Pronatura Sur & GCFTF Mexico

• Paola Bauche, Secretary of the Environment (Jalisco, Mexico)
• Leonardo das Neves Carvalho, Secretary of the Environment (Acre, Brazil)
• Francisca Arara, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples (Acre, Brazil)
• Dan Nepstad, Earth Innovation Institute
• Mary Grady, ART/TREES
• Rocio Sanz Cortez, Emergent & LEAF Coalition
• Ana Beatriz Freitas Silva, Amazon Investor Coalition

GOVERNORS’ ROUNDTABLE
Advancing the New Forest Economy: Governors’ Roundtable on Scaling Subnational Leadership and Investment in Tropical Forests

DATE: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
TIME: 16:30 – 18:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: House of Biodiversity and Climate (Instituto Tecnologico Vale)
Rua Boaventura da Silva 955, Belém, PA, 66055-090
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Regions4, ABEMA

This roundtable will bring together governors and other subnational leaders to showcase how they are advancing and scaling a new forest economy, and where investment is most urgently needed to accelerate implementation of bottom-up strategies.

Moderators:  Jason Gray, Project Director, (GCFTF)
Colleen Scanlan Lyons, Senior Director (GCFTF)
Natalia Uribe, Secretary General, Regions4

• • Governor Gladson Cameli (Acre, Brazil)
  • Governor Wilson Lima (Amazonas, Brazil)
  • Governor Clecio Luis (Amapá, Brazil)
  • Governor Luis Francisco Ruiz (Caquetá, Colombia)
  • Governor Nubia Cordoba (Choco, Colombia)
  • Prefect Uyunkar (Morona Santiago, Ecuador)
  • Governor Manuel Gambini (Ucayali, Peru)
  • Nasly Fernanda Vidales, Subsecretaria de Medio Ambiente (Valle del Cauca, Colombia)
  • Paola Bauche, Secretary of the Environment (Jalisco, Mexico)
  • Alejandro Mendez, Secretary of the Environment (Michoacan, Mexico)
  • Oden Ewa, Commissioner for Special Duties (Cross River State, Nigeria)
  • Representative of the Government of Norway
  • Marcelo Jaramillo Calle, Prefect of the Province of Cañar, member of the General Assembly, and representative of the Climate Change Commission of CONGOPE
  • Senator Henry Stern, California, USA

RECEPTION
Networking for the New Forest Economy: GCFTF & Partners Reception

DATE: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
TIME: 18:00 – 20:30 UTC-3
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Regions4, ART/Trees, Nature & Culture International with support from ABEMA

*By invitation only. Please note that as of November 11, the RSVP list is full.

Thursday, November 13

APANEL
Women for Forests and Climate: Townhall Discussion on Gender with GCFTF Leaders

DATE: Thursday, 13 November 2025
TIME: 9:00 – 10:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Green Zone, Amapá Pavilion
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, State of Amapá (Brazil)

Facilitators: Colleen Scanlan Lyons, Senior Director, GCFTF
Rosa Maria Vidal, Pronatura Sur & GCFTF Mexico

Participants:

• • • • • Governor Dilian Francisca Toro (Valle del Cauca, Colombia)
        • Governor Nubia Córdoba (Chocó, Colombia)
        • Vice Governor Mailza Assis da Silva (Acre, Brazil)
        • Francisca Arara, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples (Acre, Brazil)
        • Taisa Mara Morais Mendonça, Secretary of the Environment (Amapá, Brazil)
        • Mauren Lazzaretti, Secretary of the Environment (Mato Grosso, Brazil)
        • Paola Bauche, Secretary of the Environment (Jalisco, Mexico)
        • Camille Bemerguy, Secretary of Bioeconomy (Pará, Brazil)
        • Mary Grady, Executive Director, ART/TREES
        • Amy Duchelle, Senior Forestry Officer, Team Leader Forests & Climate, FAO
        • Nathalie Flores, Vice President – Carbon Markets, Strategic Accounts, StoneX

UNFCCC SIDE EVENT
Driving Climate Impact from the Ground Up: Implementing New Forest Economies, Climate Finance, Indigenous Digital Sovereignty, and Climate Communications at the Subnational Level

DATE: Thursday, 13 November 2025
TIME: 11:30 – 13:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone , Side Event Room 4
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (UCLA), UC Berkeley, Pronatura Sur, Institute of Behavioral Science (University of Colorado Boulder)

Perspectives from GCFTF Governors, Indigenous and community leaders, and partners on building and implementing New Forest Economies.

Moderators: Jason Gray, Project Director, (GCFTF); Colleen Scanlan Lyons, Senior Director (GCFTF)
Rosa Maria Vidal, Pronatura Sur & GCFTF Mexico

• • • • Governor Gladson Cameli (Acre, Brazil)
      • Governor Clecio Luis (Amapá, Brazil)
      • Governor Marcos Rocha (Rondônia, Brazil)
      • Governor Luis Francisco Ruiz (Caquetá, Colombia)
      • Governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba (Choco, Colombia)
      • Prefect Tiyua Uyunkar (Morona Santiago, Ecuador)
      • Governor Manuel Gambini (Ucayali, Peru)
      • Eduardo Taveira, Secretary of Environment (Amazonas, Brazil)
      • Nasly Vidales Gonzales, Undersecretary of the Environment (Valle del Cauca, Colombia)
      • Paola Bauche, Secretary of the Environment (Jalisco, Mexico)
      • Alejandro Mendez, Secretary of Environment (Michoacan, Mexico)
      • Oscar Rébora Aguilar, Secretary of Environment (Quintana Roo, Mexico)
      • McKalee Suzanne Steen, Graduate Student Researcher (UC Berkeley)
      • Max Boycoff, Professor of Environment Studies (CU Boulder)
      • Sergio Graff, Director General, Mexican National Commission of Forests
      • Fermin Chimatani, President of ANECAP, Peru – Global Committee
      • Francisca Arara, Acre, Brazil – Global Committee
      • Gustavo Sanchez, President of Red-MOCAF – Global Committee
      • Carlos Aragon, GCF Task Force Brazil Director

PANEL
Restoring the Balance: How Mexico is Finding Strategies to Meet Sustainable Development and Climate Change Goals

DATE: Thursday, 13 November 2025
TIME: 16:00 – 18:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: House of Biodiversity and Climate (Instituto Tecnologico Vale)
Rua Boaventura da Silva 955, Belém, PA, 66055-090
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Pronatura Sur

Moderators:  Rosa Maria Vidal, Pronatura Sur & GCFTF Mexico

• Paola Bauche Petersen, Secretary of Environment & Territorial Development, Jalisco
• Alejandro Mendez López, Secretary of the Environment, Michoacán
• Romeo Dominguez, Director, Pronatura Su
• Sergio H. Graf Montero, Director General, CONAFOR
• Jorge Constantino Kanter, Sub-Secretary of Environment & Climate Change, Chiapas
• Jason Gray, Project Director, GCF Task Force
• Andrés Avila Akerberg, Executive Director, Política y Legislación Ambiental (POLEA)
• Lucia Madrid, Winrock

Friday, November 14

PRESS CONFERENCE
Jalisco and Red MOCAF with Forest Trends

DATE: Friday, 14 November 2025
TIME: 10:00 – 11:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, Area D, Press Room #2
ORGANIZERS: Forest Trends, Red MOCAF (Red Mexicana de Organizaciones Campesinas Forestales), State of Jalisco (Mexico)
*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

INVITE ONLY MEETING
GCFTF IPLC Global Committee Meeting

DATE: Friday, 14 November 2025
TIME: 11:00 – 12:30 UTC-3
LOCATION: Green Zone
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF IPLC Global Committee

In 2016, the GCFTF Global Committee on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities was formed to strengthen partnerships between subnational governments and Indigenous Peoples’ and local community-level leaders. The GCFTF IPLC Global Committee convenes regularly at both international climate and forest events as well as in GCFTF regions.

PANEL
Innovation Partnerships for Regenerative Amazonia: Strengthening Regional Innovation Ecosystems to Catalyze a Locally-Led Socio-Bioeconomy

DATE: Friday, 14 November 2025
TIME:
Part I – 15:30 – 16:30 UTC-3
Part II – 17:00 – 18:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Amazônia Sempre Station at Goeldi Museum
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Conservation X-Labs, Amazonia Forever

Monday, November 17

PRIVATE MEETING
Expanding Partnerships: Climate & Nature Exchange between California and Mexico State and National Experts

DATE: Monday, 17 November 2025
TIME: 9:00 – 10:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone
ORGANIZERS: GCFTF, Pronatura  Sur

SIDE EVENT
Natural Climate Solutions in California and Brazil: Building Bridges between Goals and Implementation

DATE: Monday, 17 November 2025
TIME: 11:00 – 12:00 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, The Climate Registry Pavilion
ORGANIZERS: The Nature Conservancy
*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

Thursday, November 20

LAUNCH
High-Integrity Carbon Projects in the Brazilian Amazon: Practical Guide on Legal Compliance and Socio-Environmental Safeguards

DATE: Thursday, 20 November 2025
TIME: 15:00 – 16:30 UTC-3
LOCATION: Blue Zone, UFPA Hub
ORGANIZERS: The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI)
*Blue Zone credentials required for entry.

For further details, please contact:

Communications/Press
Akane Nishimura
akane.nishimura@gcftaskforce.org

Operations & Logistic
Martha Gutierrez Fontes
martha.gtzfontes@gcftaskforce.org

In partnership with

Supported by

COPYRIGHT GOVERNORS’ CLIMATE AND FORESTS TASK FORCE 2025 | PRIVACY POLICY