The challenge of COP30 is to consolidate intersectoral pacts capable of transforming territories.
The holding of COP30 in Belém do Pará places Brazil in a strategic position in global climate governance. By taking place in the Amazon, the conference carries the responsibility of translating multilateral commitments into concrete actions. The challenge is not to repeat the logic of promises that have been poorly executed, but to consolidate institutional arrangements capable of generating real legacies for territories and populations, especially those most affected by the climate crisis.
My research in public policy has shown that private social investment (PSI) can play an important role in this process when it is linked to public policies and community strengthening. PSI has already traveled a path from welfare philanthropy to strategic alignment with ESG and territorial development agendas. This evolution has opened up space for new forms of action, but it has also shown that isolated initiatives without local governance have little potential for transformation.
COP30 is an opportunity to demonstrate that it is possible to overcome this fragmentation. To do so, it will be necessary to bring together governments, companies and civil society around intersectoral agreements and long-term plans. ISP can play a leading role in this process by engaging in coalitions that unite climate justice and territorial development, generating results that transcend one-off projects.
Practices such as Social Urbanism already show that it is possible to integrate public and private investment in infrastructure and services, combined with community participation to transform territories. When guided by this approach, the ISP generates local impact and expands political influence, helping to design more resilient cities and communities. In this field, Diagonal acts as an articulator of these pacts, offering, through its territorial development consultancy for companies and its direct work with vulnerable communities affected by climate risks, concrete tools for tackling inequalities and methodologies that strengthen local governance.
In this sense, COP30 can be a catalyst for new intersectoral pacts. The risk of being restricted to a showcase of intentions is real, but we have the opportunity to lead a cycle of positive transformations, not just by talking, but by setting an example of how to articulate civil society, the private sector and public authorities around permanent social and environmental legacies.
