By Monica Maghami, IF20 Environment Committee
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Monica’s reflections from COP30, held in Belem, Brazil from 19-20 November, 2025, were originally published on Linkedin and are being used here with permission.
What an exciting experience to be at COP30 Brazil, an exhilarating and meaningful summit, hosted by Brazil, my birth country!
Being here was more than attending a global climate conference, it was witnessing a profound expression of humanityโs collective search for justice, unity, interdependence and moral leadership. This was a call to action echoing across every pavilion, every discussion, every initiative.
From the Global Ethical Stocktake, TED Countdown, UK Pavilion, Brazil Pavilion, Agrizone Agriculture implements, OAB SP, COP30 Brazil Women, and blue and green zones, specific topics were intertwined in the areas of ethics, sustainability, technology, policies and legal mechanisms to enable the implementation of a common framework through the Paris Agreement and SDGs, where each part is required to perform its role for the whole to function with interconnectedness and meaning.
My ๐ฬฒ๐ฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฒฬฒ ฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐คฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฐฬฒ๐ฬฒ๐ฒฬฒ๐ฌฬฒ from COP30 Brazil are as follows:
- ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ.
Law depends on science and we still have a path to go to fully support the law in addressing climate realities. - ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง.
Women live climate change as part of their daily realities. We are system shapers. - ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ .
We only solve problems when we think, truly think, together. - ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค๐ญ๐๐ค๐ (๐๐๐) ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐.
It starts not from the economy, but by asking each community what they value and need, weaving regional voices into global action. - ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ.
A considered number of farmers can benefit through a regional and global architecture built on partnership and shared learning, whilst local realities are assessed and taken into consideration. - ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐-๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ.
Accountability paired with litigation remain as alternative paths. - ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐ง๐.
We cannot capitalise our way to fairness. This is the moment to act and implement from our highest nature. - ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ.
Maps, data, and stories must reflect the continuity between past, present, and future. - ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐.
How can we build the foundation, walls and roof with front line of communities to keep the whole home safe? - ๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ค๐ญ๐๐ค๐ (๐๐๐) ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐.
To translate findings into concrete commitments for mitigation, adaptation, and technology.
Leading with values, innovating with purpose, and building a future where sustainability and dignity are not aspirations, but realities.
The path to climate justice is a shared journey, and each of us has a role in shaping the future we all hope to inherit.
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Monica Maghami is a Responsible AI and ESG strategic advisor and regulatory lawyer, specialising in corporate, commercial and public law with a focus on sustainability, governance and emerging technologies. She serves as an Environment Committee Member with the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20), contributing to its work at the intersection of religion, environment and sustainable development, including recent IF20 discussions in Brasilia on women and the environment.