Every year, global leaders meet to discuss and negotiate the direction of international climate policy at the Conference of the Parties, known as COP, an event held under the auspices of the United Nations (UN). In 2024, the 29th COP will be held from November 11 to 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Climate change is a reality that impacts the lives of millions of people around the world in the form of floods, heat waves, fires and hurricanes. This is why this is a global challenge and COP is so important: it plays a relevant role in creating international agreements and targets to fight the effects of the climate emergency.

Here, you will find information about COP and learn:

• What is COP?
• When and why was COP created?
• Who participates in COP?
• What is discussed at COP?
• What roles companies and governments play at COP?
• What are the trends ahead of COP29?
• What are the expectations for COP30, in Brazil ?

What is COP?

COP, or Conference of the Parties, is the most important international meeting on climate change.

The conference takes place annually (with the exception of 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and includes the countries that have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty to address global warming .

World leaders, scientists, activists, the media, international organizations and private companies participate in the event, discussing action plans to address climate change.

When and why was COP created?

In 1992, during the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, countries joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a framework to establish agreements, treaties and commitments to fight climate change . At that time, it was agreed that COP would convene every year to track progress regarding these commitments and negotiate global climate strategies.

The first COP was held in 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Since then, the meetings have taken place in different cities in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. In 2025, COP30 will be hosted in Belém, the capital of the state of Pará, Brazil.

Who participates in COP?

The main objective of COP is to bring together the signatories of the UNFCCC, known as the “parties”, which are the 196  countries that have ratified the Convention, the European Union, which participates as a block in addition to individual European countries, and the Holy See, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church.

The event is divided into two weeks. In the first week, heads of state and world leaders are expected to make speeches and participate in official ceremonies. In the following week, delegates from each country, including ministers, diplomats and experts, meet to negotiate the main points of each COP.

In addition to the formal delegations, other participants can join as observers. These individuals are allowed to attend the negotiations—a feature that makes the whole process more transparent—but do not have the right to vote. They include members of NGOs and community groups, academics and indigenous leaders. Other UN agencies also participate in the discussions, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Another important subset of COP includes companies and representatives of the private sector. Large corporations, which can potentially have a significant impact on the transformation of the economy, usually participate in the events and showcase the progress in their production processes. Companies involved in renewable energy generation, clean technologies and sustainable industries are present to introduce potential solutions to the climate crisis.

In parallel events, these groups can present reports, analyses and proposals as a way of fostering discussions on the impact of climate change on different sectors of society. Finally, COP is also attended and covered by journalists from many countries.

What is discussed at COP?

In general, the main theme of COPs is the state of global warming, the impact of climate change on the planet and the measures that must be taken to address the climate crisis.

Due to the complexity of the discussions, which involve different interests from almost 200 countries, each meeting has a specific central topic. However, several issues, such as water security, renewable energy and climate justice, among others, are discussed in the official meetings and in parallel events.

Each year, countries are expected to demonstrate the progress they have made in reaching their targets. Other outcomes include the establishment of global standards to align all parties toward the same goals, and the monitoring of contributions set by the Paris Agreement, the main international climate treaty established during COP21 in Paris, in 2015. One of the main objectives of the Paris Agreement is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.

In addition, representatives of nations discuss how to finance the transition to a low-carbon economy, how to make the necessary adaptations to ensure that populations are less affected by climate change, and how to end the use of fossil fuels, such as gasoline and diesel.

What roles companies and governments play in COP?

Since 2015, when the Paris Agreement went into force, governments that signed the treaty have committed to submitting nationally determined contributions, known as NDCs. NDCs include each nation’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, policies and measures to adapt to climate change, and strategies for driving social inclusion and transforming the economy.

As the name suggests, these contributions are determined by the governments themselves and must be updated every five years. As per the Paris Agreement, each update is expected to be more ambitious than the previous one, supporting the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. Based on that, the role of governments at COPs is mainly to participate in negotiations and reach multilateral agreements to ensure the success of the Paris Agreement, in addition to making commitments that demonstrate increased climate ambition.

In parallel, companies also have an essential role to play in advancing international climate policy. This is because while governments and diplomacy present public policies, the private sector can show actual results. “Companies have the ability to test solutions and change course quickly when they don’t work. There’s no point in having a public policy on paper that isn’t implemented and put into practice. The private sector is important for change to happen more quickly,” says Janaína Dallan, president of Aliança Brasil NBS.

What are the trends ahead of COP29?

In 2024, the big issue to be discussed at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be climate finance and how much money developed countries should provide to developing countries to finance the efforts required to achieve the targets and drive the climate transition. “This is not an easy discussion. Some groups advocate for a significant increase in investments, while others call for a review of what it means to be a rich or poor country. It is highly anticipated that the parties will reach an agreement on this issue at COP29,” says Janaína, from Aliança Brasil NBS.

Guilherme Quintana, climate and emissions analyst at Imaflora, believes that the Baku COP could be a continuation of the Dubai meeting, held in 2023, when the creation of a fund to finance losses and damages in vulnerable countries was announced. “Rich and developed countries should bear the cost of adaptation for developing nations. In addition, the meeting is expected to advance the discussion on eliminating the use of fossil fuels,” he says.

What are the expectations for COP30 in Belém, Brazil?

In 2025, COP30 will be held in Belém, the capital of the state of Pará, Brazil. Being hosted in a capital city within the Amazon biome, the Brazilian government is expected to demonstrate its ability to take a leading role regarding the international climate agenda. The main theme of COP30 has not yet been announced, but one possibility is that the discussions will focus on adaptation to extreme events.

In the opinion of Janaina, from Aliança Brasil NBS, Brazil will have to show that it has been doing its homework in the environmental and climate areas. She believes that the focus will be on the importance of tropical forests for the global climate and expects to see proposals being presented for the protection of forests. She also believes that the Brazilian government will showcase the recovery of degraded areas and the country will have a unique opportunity to lead discussions on the bioeconomy and nature-based solutions.

How does COP affect our lives?

While COP is a diplomatic event attended by government representatives, the decisions made in the negotiation rooms reverberate throughout society as a whole and can affect issues such as the use of fossil fuels and investments in renewable energy. “The decisions made in these meetings can have an impact on everything from the price of products to the creation of new laws,” explains Janaina Dallan, from Aliança Brasil NBS.

The discussions that take place at the climate conference can also influence the behavior of consumers, who are starting to demand from governments and companies that products be committed to environmental and climate standards.

What decisions from previous COPs have changed the way companies and governments deal with climate?

The main outcome of these climate conferences is an agreement that officializes the commitments negotiated. In addition to this official document, treaties and parallel agreements can be announced by countries and companies.

The most important result ever achieved at a COP was the Paris Agreement, signed by the parties in 2015 during COP21 in Paris. This treaty is a guide for governments and companies to implement initiatives that can lead to the achievement of the goal of keeping global warming under 1.5ºC and not exceeding 2ºC.

Another important milestone was the announcement of a global agreement, of which Brazil is a part, to reduce methane, made at COP26, held in 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. The main objective of this agreement is to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, a challenge that involves primarily the agricultural sector.

Suzano is committed to several climate-related initiatives. Learn more on the Climate page. ‍