Harvard on the Road to COP30 in Brazil
Harvard on the Road to COP30 in Brazil
What is COP?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the world’s leading climate summit, bringing together leaders from governments, civil society, science, business, and academia to assess progress on climate goals and negotiate global responses to climate change. Hosted annually under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), COP plays a central role in shaping international environmental policy and driving collective climate action.
Where Will COP30 Be Held?
COP30 will take place in Belém do Pará, Brazil, in November 2025. Located in the Amazon region, Belém is a powerful symbol of the global urgency to protect critical ecosystems and strengthen climate resilience in the Global South. This will be the first COP held in the Brazilian Amazon, highlighting the vital role of tropical forests in the fight against climate change.
Harvard’s Engagement at COP30
Harvard researchers and students are at the forefront of advancing climate solutions. COP30 provides a critical platform to share research, policy insights, and innovation that are driving progress toward a sustainable future.
On this page, we highlight how members of the Harvard community are engaging with climate-related topics in the lead-up to COP-30.
Events
Integrating Art, Indigenous Wisdom, and Science for Climate Action
November 11, 2025 @ 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM BRT (Belém, Pará, Brazil)
Join Harvard Professor Mary Rice, Mark and Catherine Winkler Associate Professor of Environmental Respiratory Health, in an event that explores how artistic approaches, indigenous knowledge, and evidence-based communication paired with real-world energy, urban planning, and food interventions can mobilize action, with examples that have provided health, economic, climate gains and protect biodiversity and food security.
More information coming soon.
Resilience as a Pillar of Primary Health Care in Latin America and the Caribbean Report Launch
November 12, 2025 @ 02:00 - 03:00 PM BRT (Estande do Instituto Evandro Chagas (IEC) - Green Zone)
Join Harvard Professor Marcia Castro, Andelot Professor of Demography and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and representatives from the Brazilian Ministry of Health for the dissemination of the World Bank and PAHO/WHO–Lancet Regional Health Americas Commission Report, “Resilience as a Pillar of Primary Health Care in Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Join Us!
Health and Climate: what comes after COP30?
November 14, 2025 @ 3:00 - 4:30 PM BRT
Cas’Amazônia (Tv. Campos Sales, 752 - Campina, Belém - PA)
Join Harvard Professor Marcia Castro, Andelot Professor of Demography and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, for a high-level roundtable bringing together leaders and experts from multiple sectors to reflect on the legacy of Health Day in the context of COP30 and outline concrete pathways to integrate health and climate action, with a special focus on the Amazon.
Join Us!
Science-Informed Strategies to Advance Climate and Biodiversity Goals
November 15, 2025 @ 3:00 - 4:30 PM BRT (Belém, Pará, Brazil)
Join Harvard Professor Jeannine Cavender-Bares, Climate Action Acceleration Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, in a discussion on integrated assessment of ecosystems using satellite observations, field experiments and biodiversity data can inform science-based strategies and decision making to address the interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss to enhance ecosystem resilience.
More information coming soon.
Alumni in Climate Networking Series: São Paulo
November 3, 2025 @ 5:00 PM-8:00 PM BRT (São Paulo, Brazil)
The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, HBS’s Business and Environment Initiative, Harvard Chan C-Change, HLS’s Environment & Energy Law Program, and David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies Brazil Office, invite you to join us for a networking reception hosted prior to COP30 in Sao Paulo, Brazil sponsored by Natura and Dengo.
COP30: What to Expect
October 24 @ 1:00 PM ET (Zoom)
Join HACE for our fourth annual event covering COP. Natalie Unterstell (HKS, MPA ‘16) will join us to review what is on the agenda and what to expect from COP30. She is the President of Instituto Talanoa, Member of Brazil’s National Council for Economic and Social Development (the Brazilian President´s Council), and of the COP30 Adaptation Council. She was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential Women in Climate (2021). We will also be joined by other panelists to be announced.
Our Community on the Road to COP3O
Nexo Políticas Públicas
