Brazil's Bold Proposal: A Climate Change Council for Swift Global Action

Brazil proposes a new multilateral body under the UN climate regime to expedite COP decisions. While European countries support reform discussions, they stress not weakening the UNFCCC process. The idea follows concerns over the slow current UN climate process as the world struggles to meet temperature goals.

Brazil has put forward an ambitious proposal to establish a Climate Change Council under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aimed at accelerating global climate action. The move comes as Brazil prepares to host the COP30 conference in Belem later this year.

While the initiative has received a cautious welcome from significant players like Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, these nations stress the importance of maintaining the integrity of the UNFCCC process. The discussions were a focal point at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue held in Berlin, Germany.

The new council is envisioned to speed up decision-making and enhance implementation efforts, addressing criticisms that the current UN climate process is slow and overly complex. Experts warn that meaningful progress might necessitate rethinking the Paris Agreement and the overall framework of climate diplomacy.

(With inputs from agencies.)