From October 6th to 8th, Amapá hosted the 4th ICLEI Brazil Amazon Regional Meeting, bringing together representatives from local governments, research institutions, civil society, and international organisations to strengthen cooperation and Amazonian leadership in the climate agenda. The event, held at the Sacaca Museum in Macapá, saw over 190 participants over the course of the event and marked an important stage in the region's preparation for COP30, which will take place in November 2025 in Belém (PA).

The opening ceremony was attended by authorities such as Gutemberg Silva, Director of the Amapá Research Support Foundation (FAPEAP); Gabriela Savian, Director of Public Policies at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM); Sônia JeanJacque, Secretary of Indigenous Peoples of the State of Amapá; Rodrigo Perpétuo, Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America; Fabricio Penafort, Secretary of International Relations of the State of Amapá; Edivan Andrade, State Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of Amapá; and Josilana da Costa Santos, President-Director of Feppir-Fundação Marabaixo. During the opening, the city of Abaetetuba (PA) also officially joined the ICLEI network, with the presence of Raphael Sereni, Municipal Secretary of the Environment.

The first day of activities began with the COP30 Amapá Strategic Programme workshop, led by ICLEI, which supported the state government in aligning priority projects for visibility and resource mobilisation during the conference, with a focus on climate finance, strategic partnerships, and international positioning. Following this, the CB27 Forum, promoted by ICLEI in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), brought together environment secretaries from the Amazonian region's capitals to articulate a joint position expressed in the CB27 Charter, addressing common challenges and solutions. Among the participants were Valcir Marvulle, Secretary of Environment, Sustainable Development and Urban Posture of Macapá; Juliana Nobre, Secretary of Environment of Belém; and Ícaro César Farias da Costa, Deputy Secretary of Environment of Boa Vista.

Female leadership and integration between climate and biodiversity

The second day was marked by thematic panels that highlighted diversity and innovation as pillars of Amazonian sustainable development. The panel “Women at COP: Female Voices on the Climate Agenda,” moderated by Priscilla Flores, First Lady of the State of Amapá, underscored the transformative role of women in climate leadership. Participants included Adriana Stephanie Amoras Ramos (Secretariat for Women's Policies of Amapá), Ivana Cei (Public Prosecutor's Office of Amapá), Michelle Ferreti (Alziras Institute), and Leticia Mamedes (DUSA Coalition). The panel also featured contributions from Josilana da Costa Santos.Marabaixo Foundation and Márcia Bueno's, mother of the First Lady and Superintendent of IBAMA in Amapá.

Following this, the panel “Innovation and Sustainable Markets for Amazonian Socio-bioeconomy” discussed ways to strengthen the value of the standing forest, connecting science, technology, and traditional knowledge. The session featured Edivan Andrade, State Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation of Amapá, Raphael Sereni, Secretary of Environment of Abaetetuba, Valcléia Solidade, Superintendent of Sustainable Development of Communities at the Sustainable Amazon Foundation, Raquel Poça, Researcher and Coordinator at IPAM, moderated by Wandenberg Pitaluga Filho, president of Amapá's Economic Development Agency.

Closing the day, the panel “Climate and Biodiversity: Integrated Actions for Sustainable Urban Development in the Amazon,” moderated by Hugo Salomão, Senior Fellow at ICLEI for COP30, reinforced the importance of integrating local climate and biodiversity policies. The discussion brought together Juliana Nobre, Secretary of Environment of Belém; Isac Braz da Cunha, President of the Foundation for Environment of Palmas; Rafael Oliveira da Silva, Municipal Secretary of Environment of Altamira; Francine Xavier, Director of the Instituto Comida do Amanhã; and Luciano Frontelle, Executive Director of Plant-for-the-Planet Brazil.

Technical visits connect theory and practice of Amazonian sustainability

The final day of the meeting was marked by technical visits to Amazonly Cosméticos and Mazodan Produtos Cimentícios, two initiatives that illustrate the potential of the bioeconomy and innovation in Amapá. Amazonly, a vegetable oil industry located in the state, develops bio-Amazonian products focused on health, well-being, and beauty, promoting the valorisation of natural resources and strengthening the bioeconomy in a territory with the largest proportion of protected areas in the Amazon. Mazodan, on the other hand, is involved in creating materials for civil construction from minerals and sediments from the Amazon River, waste that contributes to silting and environmental degradation. The initiative transforms this liability into a productive input, opening a new sustainable chain in the construction sector.

The 4th ICLEI Brazil Amazon Regional Meeting is being organised by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and the Government of the State of Amapá, as part of the global Town Hall COP30 initiative, in partnership with FAPEAP. It has the institutional support of the Ministry of Cities, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and partners ICLEI 2025: MRV and NetZero. Institutional supporters include: CDP, Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030), Brazilian Association of Municipalities (ABM), Brazilian Association for Development (ABDE), Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).