Day 7 at COP30 Puts Nature at the Center, Advancing Forest Protection, Land Rights, and Resilience Finance

On the seventh day of COP30, a strong and connected story came into focus: when nature leads the way, climate action moves faster and becomes more effective. Instead of separate announcements, the day unfolded like a blueprint for a new climate future—one where forests, communities, oceans, and young people sit at the center of global action. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟳 ➣ The day opened with a breakthrough that had been years in the making. The 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗧𝗙𝗙𝗙), first proposed by Brazil at COP28 in 2023, finally became operational. With $5B secured, it introduced a long-term system that rewards countries and communities for keeping forests standing. Countries like the DRC, China, Colombia, and Norway strengthened the launch with new commitments, showing that global forest protection had entered a new phase. ➣ These developments led to a critical next step: supporting the rights of those who protect forests. Donors highlighted that the $1.7B Land and Forest Tenure Pledge made at COP26 to support Indigenous and community land rights had not only been delivered early but was now renewed through 2030. Building on this momentum, 14 countries endorsed the world’s first global land-rights commitment—the 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗜𝗟𝗧𝗖), aiming to secure 160 million hectares for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Brazil alone pledged 59 million hectares, one of the largest commitments ever made. ➣ With finance and land rights finally aligned, the day moved to the next question: How can communities earn a livelihood while protecting nature? Forest protection lasts only when it supports people on the ground. This is where the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗶𝗼𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 came in, based on the G20’s 10 High-Level Principles developed under Brazil’s presidency, aims to turn sustainable ideas into real markets and investments—creating fair, nature-positive livelihoods rooted in Indigenous and local knowledge. ➣ To scale these efforts, countries launched the Scaling 𝗝𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗗+ 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, bringing together countries like Costa Rica, Ghana, Ethiopia, Guyana, and Kenya alongside donors and Indigenous organizations. Unlike traditional project-by-project funding, JREDD+ rewards whole states, provinces, or countries for reducing deforestation across their entire territory. This approach could mobilize $3–6 billion a year by 2030, helping close the global forest finance gap and giving communities and governments long-term incentives to keep forests standing. ➣ But protecting forests at scale also meant confronting one of their fastest-growing threats: wildfires. As heatwaves and droughts intensify, fires are becoming more frequent and more destructive across the tropics. To address this, partners launched the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗯, hosted by FAO. By 2028, it aims to support 10,000 knowledge holders and strengthen fire-resilient management across 10 million hectares. ➣ As the day expanded beyond forests, new funding strengthened global resilience efforts. Contributions to the Adaptation Fund gave vulnerable countries renewed support, while 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗹’𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲, launched earlier at COP30 to mobilize finance for nature-based solutions, announced it had already doubled its $5B target, securing over $10B. At the same time, more than 40 organizations committed over $9B to regenerative landscapes, supporting millions of farmers worldwide. ➣ A new urgency emerged with the release of the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, highlighting that the next five years are critical for cutting methane, the fastest way to slow warming and protect ecosystems. As EU Commissioner Dan Jørgensen put it, “the tools exist, the benefits are clear—now we must act.” ➣ The day ended with a powerful reminder of what is at stake. In a message to leaders, Pope Leo XIV, Head of the Roman Catholic Church, urged the world not to overlook the people most vulnerable to climate impacts, saying that to ignore them is to “deny our shared humanity.” His words echoed the central message running through the day: climate action must be rooted in justice, dignity, and care for those who protect the planet’s most fragile ecosystems. Day 7 proved that climate action works best when it strengthens both nature and people. It was a day where finance, rights, livelihoods, and resilience came together to shape a more just and nature-positive future.