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Today, within Brazil's Amazon region, the Belém conference commences prior to the 30th United Nations climate change conference (Cop30). I have convened global heads of state in the days leading up to the conference to ensure collective dedication to taking swift measures with the necessary speed that the environmental emergency requires.

Should we not progress past rhetoric to tangible steps, public trust will diminish – not just in climate conferences, and in international cooperation and international politics more broadly. This is the reason for convening leaders to the Amazon: to establish this as the "truthful Cop", the occasion where we prove the seriousness of our shared commitment to the planet.

Humanity has shown its ability to overcome great challenges when it acts together and scientific guidance. We protected the ozone layer. Worldwide actions during the Covid-19 crisis showed that decisive global action is possible when there is courage and political will.

Brazil hosted the Earth Summit in 1992. We approved the conventions on climate, biodiversity and desertification, and principles were embraced that established a fresh model for protecting Earth and humankind. During the last three decades, these gatherings have produced important agreements and goals for cutting emissions – including halting deforestation by 2030 to increasing renewable energy threefold.

More than three decades later, global attention returns to Brazil to address the climate issue. There's a reason why Cop30 is being held in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. This is an opportunity for politicians, diplomats, scientists, activists and journalists to observe the Amazon's actual conditions. We want the world to see the true state of the forests, the planet’s largest river basin, and the millions of people who live in the region. Climate conferences must not just display concepts or yearly meetings for delegates. They should serve as encounters with actuality and of effective action to tackle climate change.

To confront this crisis together, we need resources. And we must recognise that the concept of shared yet varied duties stays as the fixed basis of any climate pact. That is why the global south demands greater access to resources – not out of charity, but as fairness. Rich countries have benefited the most from the carbon-based economy. They should now fulfill their obligations, not only by making commitments but by honouring their debts.

Brazil is doing its part. In only two years, Amazon deforestation has been cut by half by us, showing that concrete climate action is possible.

At Belém, we are introducing a novel program for forest conservation: the TFFF fund. It is innovative because it operates as an investment fund, not a donation mechanism. The TFFF will reward those who keep their forests standing and those who invest in the fund. A true mutually beneficial strategy for addressing environmental issues. Setting an example, Brazil has announced an investment of $1bn in the TFFF, and we anticipate similarly bold pledges from other countries.

We also demonstrated leadership through becoming the second country to present a new nationally determined contribution (NDC). Brazil has vowed to cut its emissions by 59% to 67%, including all emission types and all sectors of the economy. In this spirit, we call on all countries to propose similarly bold NDCs and to execute them thoroughly.

The energy transition is fundamental to meeting Brazil’s NDC. Our energy matrix is among the cleanest in the world, as 88% of our power is renewable. We are a leader in biofuels and are advancing in wind, solar and green hydrogen energy.

Channeling oil earnings to fund a fair, structured energy shift is vital. In the long run, oil companies worldwide, such as Brazil's Petrobras, will evolve into energy providers, since an economic model reliant on fossil fuels cannot last.

Individuals should be the focus in climate policy choices and the energy transition. It's important to acknowledge that society's most at-risk groups suffer the most from environmental effects, this is why equitable transition and adjustment strategies must aim to combat inequality.

We cannot forget that two billion individuals have no access to clean technologies and fuels for cooking, and 673 million people still live with hunger. To address this, we will launch in Belém a statement on hunger, poverty, and climate. Our pledge to combat climate change should be closely tied to the effort to end hunger.

It is equally essential that we push for changes in international governance. Currently, international cooperation is hindered by the stagnation within the UN Security Council. Established to maintain peace, it has failed to prevent wars. Hence, it is our responsibility to fight for the reform of this institution. At Cop30, we will advocate for the creation of a UN climate change council linked to the general assembly. This would form a fresh governance framework with the force and legitimacy to guarantee nations fulfill their pledges, and a practical move towards overcoming the present deadlock of the multilateral system.

During each environmental summit, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments. The era of declarations of good intentions has ended: the moment for implementation plans is here. That is why today we begin the "truthful Cop".