In Beijing, Marina Silva and Chinese minister deepen Brazil–China cooperation on the environment and climate

Minister Marina Silva (Environment and Climate Change) and China’s Minister of Ecology and Environment, Huang Runqiu, met on Monday, May 12, in Beijing, during President Lula’s State visit to China. The ministers discussed ways to advance cooperation in strategic areas for both countries — including tackling climate change, conserving biodiversity, restoring forests, promoting ecosystem services, and developing innovative economic instruments.

“In a turbulent and challenging moment in global geopolitics, Brazil and China must continue to strengthen multilateralism,” stated the Brazilian minister. In 2024, for the first time, the planet surpassed the mark of 1.5°C in average warming compared to pre-industrial levels. “Given this alarming scenario, it is essential that both countries promote progress in climate action, both nationally and globally. There are many opportunities for that to happen,”  argued Marina Silva.

"China is the largest producer and supplier of technologies for the global energy transition, and Brazil, which already has an energy matrix that is 49% clean, is working to become one of the largest exporters of sustainability by reducing CO2 emissions and the loss of biodiversity in the products it supplies through good practices," she added.

During the meeting, the minister emphasized that COP30, the UN Climate Conference to be held in Belém in November, should be the COP of implementation, especially of the agreements established by the United Arab Emirates Consensus defined at COP28: tripling the use of renewable energy and doubling its efficiency, ending deforestation by 2030, and promoting a just and planned transition away from the use of fossil fuels.

One of the decisive paths towards this objective, pointed out Marina Silva, is presenting NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and means of implementation that are aligned with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. NDCs are the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of countries under the Paris Agreement. By September, all countries must submit their commitments for 2035 to the UN.

Brazil completed the submission process in November 2024, at COP29 in Azerbaijan. The Brazilian NDC outlines a reduction of between 59% and 67% of net emissions by 2035, compared to 2005 levels, covering all sectors of the economy and greenhouse gases. On April 23, during the Virtual Summit on Climate Ambition, held remotely by President Lula and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President Xi Jinping stated that China would present an ambitious NDC.

TROPICAL FORESTS — The minister also called for Chinese engagement in the operationalization of the Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF). Developed by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima/MMA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério do Relações Exteriores/MRE), and the Ministry of Finance (Ministério da Fazenda/MF), the mechanism seeks to raise USD 125 billion from public and private sources, with approximately USD 25 billion coming from sovereign investments. The fund's proceeds will be used to pay countries holding tropical forests based on the number of hectares conserved, according to reliable satellite data. The Brazilian government is working to ensure that the TFFF is operational by COP30.

The construction of the fund is being discussed by 12 nations, divided into two groups: six countries with tropical forests and six investor countries. The mechanism is one of the priority agendas of Brazil's presidency at COP30. The Chinese government has expressed interest in contributing and has designated a focal point to handle discussions on the matter.

The relevance of the exchange between the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration of (NFGA) on reforestation and forest restoration topics was also discussed. The partnership will help Brazil meet its commitment — made within the framework of its NDC — restore 12 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, based on the National Native Vegetation Recovery Plan (Plano Nacional de Recuperação da Vegetação Nativa/Planaveg).

The meeting in Beijing was the second of the year between Marina and Runqiu. The first took place in April in Brasília, within the context of the 11th BRICS Environment Ministers’ Meeting. On that occasion, the 5th Meeting of the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee of the China-Brazil Commission of High Level of Agreement and Cooperation (Comissão Sino-Brasileira de Alto Nível de Concertação e Cooperação/COSBAN) also occurred. Created in 2023 by Presidents Lula and Xi Jinping, the subcommittee approved, in April, its Work Plan for the period from 2025 to 2029. Marina emphasized the importance of implementing the work plan. The Director-General of the Brazilian Forest Service (Serviço Florestal Brasileiro/SFB), Garo Batmanian, also attended the meeting.

Earlier this Monday, the minister and Batmanian met with Liu Guohong, president of the NFGA, and participated in the seminar "The Path to COP30: Brazil-China Cooperation for Vegetation Restoration and Forest Carbon Sinks." The event brought together representatives from the Brazilian and Chinese governments and experts from both countries to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Brazil and China in the areas of reforestation and forest restoration.

STATE VISIT — President Lula’s State visit to China between Monday and Wednesday (14) is an opportunity to advance the commitments made between the two countries, including the Joint Declaration on Building a Brazil-China Community for a Shared Future, a more just World, and a More Sustainable Planet, as well as key Brazilian government initiatives such as the New Brazil (Novo Brasil) — Ecological Transformation Plan, Planaveg, and New Industry Brazil program (Nova Indústria Brasil).

With complementary experiences, Brazil and China have significant potential to develop joint solutions for adapting to the effects of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), protecting biodiversity, combating desertification, and promoting alternatives and substitutes for conventional plastic. China has accumulated extensive experience in reforestation through emblematic programs such as the “Great Green Wall” and “Grain for Green,” standing out for its use of technology, public policies, and payment mechanisms for environmental services. During the visit, the 4th China–Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum will take place with the participation of Lula and Xi Jinping.