The University of Birmingham Brazil Institute at COP30

The delegation was led by Co-Director of the Brazil Institute, Dr Angelo Martins Jr, and included three undergraduate students, Lennox Stevenson, Benika Lal and Hadil Touihri, at the University of Birmingham. The conference serves as an unparalleled opportunity to return to Belém following their completion of the Immerse Amazonia Summer School as advocates for positive change. The cohort aims to continue to embody Voices of the Youth when contributing to dialogues revolving Amazonian preservation and sustainability. Benika Lal and Hadil Touihri shared their expectations prior to the conference below.

See what the entire cohort got up too at COP30 below.

COP30 itinerary

International Cooperation: The role of funding agencies and universities in promoting science panel, Auditorium Núcleo Avançados de Estudos Amazônicos (NAEA) 

Dr Angelo Martins Jr served as a panellist on the roundtable hosted by Núcleo Avançados de Estudos Amazônicos (NAEA). The roundtable was centred on "International Cooperation: The role of funding agencies and universities in promoting science."

NAEA serves as part of the Centre for Amazon studies at Federal University of Pará and aims to connect academics, public institutions, and members of society to engage in robust and meaningful partnerships. They encourage projects that advocate for the Amazon and its peoples through meaningful and intentional initiatives, where Dr Martins Jr hoped to facilitate this knowledge exchange by discussing the importance of equitable partnerships and long-term collaboration in global research with distinguished colleagues, including Prof. Nirvia Ravena (NAEA/UFPA), Prof. Thales Ravena Cañete (NAEA/UFPA), Prof. Rodrigo Constante Martins (UFSCar), Prof. Francisco de Assis Costa (NAEA/UFPA), Marcel Botelho (FAPESPA), and Rafael Andery (CONFAP/FAPESP/Amazônia+10).

Science Communication in the Amazon to Counter Climate Change Denial panel, Casa da ciência, Museu Emílio Goeldi (MPEG)

The Museu Emílio Goeldi is one of the largest and oldest scientific institutions located in Brazil and is affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Throughout the duration of COP30, the institution was transformed into the Casa da Ciência. Here, the institution provided a space designated for scientific knowledge exchange and the opportunity to promote conversations intertwining scientific innovation and technology to ultimately benefit the Amazon. Here, Dr Martins Junior participated in a panel focusing on the role of scientific communication in tackling climate denial and misinformation, a prevalent challenge in ensuring democratic responses to climate emergencies

Auditorium Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH), UFPA

The Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) is located within the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) and fosters transnational dialogues revolving the development of future sustainability strategies. The institute encourages educative practices that hone critical and analytical thinking to help shape pragmatic solutions to pressing global challenges with a widespread impact. 

As such, the IFCH proved an intentional partner to co-host several events with during COP30. These events are outlined below.

Transnational Dialogues for a Sustainable Future Roundtable

This roundtable brought the three University of Birmingham undergraduate students, Benika Lal, Lennox Stevenson, and Hadil Touihri, together with their Brazilian student counterparts, who had taken part in the UBBI’s Immerse Amazonia summer school,

Collaboratively, they shared insights on their immersive experience in Brazil and how this intercultural programme facilitated vital knowledge exchange between different communities necessary to tackle global socio-environmental crises. The topics covered included biodiversity loss, climate change, and social inequality.

Internationalisation Workshop: Opportunities with The University of Birmingham Brazil Institute (UBBI) and Academic Writing in English

This workshop will aim to showcase the existing international partnerships supported by The University of Birmingham Brazil Institute, such as those offered in conjunction with FAPESPA and UFPA. Discussion of prospective partnerships will be encouraged, as well as an active knowledge exchange regarding the logistics of a successful research application. These include funding channels and submission materials. This will be followed by strategic guidance on structuring and managing international research projects, with a concentration on English-speaking projects.

Scientific Production, Public Engagement, and Social Impact

Dr Angelo Martins Jr will join representatives of the IFCH in covering the methodologies for assessing and demonstrating the social impact and public engagement of their research. This is central to UBBI’s efforts to foster mutual capacity-building and horizontal exchange.

UBBI in the Blue Zone

UBBI’s presence extended into COP30’s Blue Zone, where Dr Martins Junior joined the panel United Kingdom–Brazil Partnerships: Lessons Learned and Challenges in Research, Funding, and Social Impact, and later, Collaboration in Action: International Research Partnerships as Catalysts for System-Wide Climate Solutions, co-hosted with the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA). Across both panels, the need for more inclusive, co-created partnerships between institutions in the UK and Brazil was highlighted.

Immerse Amazonia students in the Blue zone were able to engage in diplomatic conversations with policy makers across the world, where their insights and opinions are revealed in several interviews conducted below.

Exclusive Interviews 

Our Immerse Student cohort worked hard to obtain exclusive interviews from key policy makers, academics, scientists and indigenous leaders present at COP30. Interviewees included the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband, and Deputy British Ambassador to Brazil Tony Kay, where footage will be released in due course.