The Belém Climate Summit aims to lay the foundation for the successful organisation of the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), which will be held in Belém on November 10–21, 2025. Heads of state and government, foreign ministers, and representatives of international organisations participated in the summit to discuss current climate challenges and to develop priorities for the upcoming COP30 negotiations.
In his address at the general plenary session of leaders, Ruslan Edelgeriyev stressed the need to restore the balance between adaptation to climate change and emissions reduction. The head of the Russian delegation stressed that adaptation was not a secondary task and called for a pragmatic set of indicators for a global adaptation goal to be agreed upon at COP30. He also noted that each country’s path to a low-carbon future was unique and must remain sovereign, adding that the work programme on a just transition should serve as a platform for dialogue rather than a tool for imposing new obligations.
Particular focus was placed on the role of forest ecosystems. The Presidential Aide stated that, according to scientific data obtained through the Unified National System for Monitoring Climate-Active Substances – a key innovative national project – the average annual greenhouse gas absorption in the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry sector in Russia exceeds 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
He emphasised that this significant contribution is primarily made by the country’s forest ecosystems, which account for more than 20 percent of the world’s total forested area. Drawing on its own experience in systematically fighting forest fires through the use of unmanned aerial systems and satellite monitoring, Russia fully supported Brazil’s initiative, “Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Building Wildfire Resilience.”
Russia’s position, as expressed by the Special Presidential Representative for Climate and Water Resources during his address, is that only through balanced, fair, and respectful dialogue can a sustainable future be built for all.
“The path from Baku to Belém must become a path toward building trust and mobilising resources, not toward creating new barriers,” Ruslan Edelgeriyev concluded.