In a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest, a mother watches the river recede. The same water that once nourished her family’s crops and quenched their thirst is now dangerously low — the result of both drought and deforestation. Her story is not unique. From Brazil to the Sahel and across small island states, families are contending with the harsh, daily realities of a crisis they didn’t cause.

The communities hit hardest by climate change have contributed least to the crisis. It’s time for the biggest polluters — especially wealthy countries and industries — to provide the resources these frontline communities need to not just survive, but adapt and thrive.

There’s hope: COP30, held this November in the Amazon, shines a spotlight on these vulnerable communities. It’s our chance to change course and tackle the climate crisis head-on.

Why Global Citizen Launched "Protect the Amazon"

In November 2025, Belém, Brazil — on the edge of the Amazon — will host COP30, the UN’s annual climate summit. It’s a rare chance for leaders to face the forest they promised to protect.

COP30 is also symbolic, coming ten years after the Paris Agreement, where nations pledged to cut emissions and help vulnerable countries adapt.

But a decade later, we’re still falling short. Emissions are rising, forests are shrinking, and the critical 1.5°C target is slipping away.

COP30 offers a powerful opportunity to change course. 

To seize the moment, Global Citizen launched Protect the Amazon — a global campaign building pressure on governments, corporations, and financial institutions ahead of COP30. We’re leveraging major cultural moments, political convenings, and citizen-led mobilization to build pressure for climate commitments — from governments, financial institutions, and corporations. 

This effort will culminate in the Global Citizen Festival: Amazonia, a groundbreaking concert in Belém during COP30 that uses culture to highlight the Amazon and inspire millions to take action. It will also be one of the most sustainable large-scale events ever held in South America.

What We’re Asking For

COP30 must deliver real support. We’re urging wealthy countries to commit bold funding for climate adaptation — helping communities secure food, clean water, resilient homes, and increase their ability to face the impacts of the changing climate. Local communities at the frontlines of climate change are already adapting to this new reality, but they need means of implementation to make adaptation a reality.

We also need more funding for loss and damage to help people recover from disasters, including compensation for homes, crops, and livelihoods that are lost despite mitigation and adaptation efforts that communities and countries are already putting in place.

These pledges must be reflected in countries’ commitments and ambitious, integrated climate and development plans, with clear goals, timelines, and resources to actually reach those on the front lines. That includes vulnerable communities, smallholder farmers, coastal families, and Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon, who are already adapting to climate extremes with limited means. 

What Can Global Citizens Do?

Right now, the Amazonian rainforest is on the brink of collapse primarily because of climate change and human activities related to large-scale agriculture. Frontline communities are suffering the harshest impacts — from deadly floods and droughts to shrinking food supplies and unsafe water. Meanwhile, access to renewable energy remains out of reach for millions. The stakes could not be higher. 

COP30 must be the moment we turn the tide

As Global Citizens, each of us has power. We can raise our voices to demand climate justice. We can apply pressure where it matters most — on governments, corporations, and financial institutions — to follow through on their promises. And we can stand in solidarity with the communities living with the immediate and devastating effects of climate change.

This isn’t just about protecting the Amazon rainforest. It’s about safeguarding food security for millions, ensuring clean air and safe water, and preserving a livable planet for our children and generations to come.

We already know the problem. We have proven solutions — from clean energy to resilient farming, from protecting Indigenous rights and lands to fair climate finance. What we need now is the political will to act.

Ending extreme poverty requires the world’s biggest emitters to support the hardest-hit communities. That’s why we’re campaigning to ensure those on the frontlines of climate change receive the financial resources they need to adapt and thrive — and that polluters pay for the damage they cause.

By supporting vulnerable communities and taking action today, we can help build a safer, more just tomorrow — before it’s too late.