As the world struggles to stay on track with its climate goals, Brazil has come forward with a bold idea create a new Climate Change Council under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to speed up global decision-making and implementation.
The proposal is being floated ahead of the COP30 climate summit, which Brazil is set to host in Belem later this year. According to Brazilian officials, the aim of the council would be to bypass the current sluggish pace of international climate negotiations and provide a more agile mechanism for action.
The suggestion was a key talking point during the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin. While the idea has caught the attention of several European countries namely Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden they have voiced caution. These nations agree that reform is necessary, but they’ve also stressed the importance of not undermining the existing UNFCCC process, which is seen as a cornerstone of global climate diplomacy.
The current climate regime under the Paris Agreement has often been criticised for being too slow, especially as the world faces more frequent and severe climate-related disasters. Experts argue that more nimble mechanisms are essential if countries are to stay within the 1.5°C global warming limit.
However, the idea of a new body especially one that might shift power away from the traditional consensus-based process raises complex political and legal questions. It remains to be seen whether this proposed Climate Change Council can gain enough global support without fragmenting the current climate governance framework.
Brazil’s move signals a growing impatience with the status quo and a desire to push the world toward faster and more focused action but whether that ambition can be balanced with global unity remains a critical question.