AVSI at COP30

Clean cooking, reforestation, environmental education, carbon finance, organic waste management based on the principle of circular and inclusive bioeconomy, sustainable urban planning, and nature-based solutions: these are just some of the topics that AVSI and our Founding Member AVSI Brasil bring to COP30 - the 30th Conference of the Parties - taking place in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21.

Working in sectors connected to the environment and climate change, AVSI embraces Pope Francis’ appeal at COP23 (2017), which invited everyone to engage in a free dialogue on how we are building the future of the planet, avoiding the risk of ideological drifts: "The environmental challenge we are experiencing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all" (Laudato si’, 14).

The panel - organized by the Polìs Institute - aims to showcase innovative, ongoing initiatives in the Amazon region that integrate methane emission reduction, productive inclusion, and a just transition in solid waste management. These experiences address the Amazon’s unique territorial, infrastructural, and governance challenges through community-based and adaptive waste solutions.

The panel, moderated by Laís Ferreira from the Polís Institute, featured contributions from Henrique Bezerra of Global Methane Hub, Pamela Massoud from the Belém City Hall, Adriana Fonseca from CONCAVES, Ilana Peixoto from AVSI Brasil, Maria Trindade Santana from the Association Citizenship for All, Rubens Magno from SEBRAE – the Brazilian Service for Support to Small and Medium Enterprises, and Mateus Mendonça from the AVINA Foundation.

Organized in collaboration with ACDI (another one of AVSI Founding Members, based in Argentina), AVSI Brasil, the Fauna & Flora International association, and Fundación Gran Chaco, this session brought together African and Latin American leaders to illustrate how to create partnerships that promote “nature-based” solutions - active interventions based on natural and ecological elements to address social and environmental challenges - integrating national goals with strengthened climate and economic resilience.

The panel, moderated by Lucas di Pietro from ACDI, included Fabiana Menna from Fundación Gran Chaco, Lorena Aguilar from the Kashak Institute, Sana Diop Dieng from Tree Aid, Vonani Rikhotso from Women 20 South Africa, Fermin Chimatani Tayori from ANECAP, Hon. Nora Bowier from the Government of Liberia, Ibel Diarte from COMAR, and Laura Eschberger from AVSI Brasil.

Promoted by the National Front of Mayors of Brazil (FNP) with the participation of AVSI Brazil, Brazilian mayors, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (CEBDS), and Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment (MMA), the event highlighted how collaboration among local governments, the private sector, and civil society has produced concrete results in Brazil for achieving the country’s climate commitments.

Promoted by Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the dialogue focused on an AVSI project in Rwanda, scalable and based on an integrated approach. It analyzed a model involving rural communities and youth to promote sustainable behaviors and adaptation interventions through environmental education in schools and communities, alongside the development of green businesses (improved cooking systems, nurseries, reforestation) through youth cooperatives.

The panel was opened by Alessandro Guerri, Director of the Directorate-General for European and International Affairs and Sustainable Finance (MASE), and featured contributions from Faustin Munyazikwiye, Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), Lorette Birara, AVSI Rwanda Representative, and Caroline Amollo, Director of Corporate Affairs at BURN, moderated by Alessandro Galimberti, Coordinator of AVSI’s Climate Change, Energy and Environment Unit.”

Organized in collaboration with the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI), the event examined how carbon finance, if well designed, can mobilize resources and partnerships for high-impact projects, ensuring transparency and environmental, economic, and social benefits.
The panel offered concrete strategies, best practices, and recommendations to guide offset demand toward sustainable and inclusive interventions.

Moderated by Maria Laura Conte, AVSI’s Director of Communication & Advocacy, the discussion included Alessandro Galimberti, Coordinator of AVSI’s Climate Change Unit; Ottavio Novelli, Director of the Department for Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Environment at A.E.S.A.; Juma Ignatius Maiyah, Senior Advisor at the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change in Kenya, and Caroline Amollo, Director of Corporate Affairs at BURN.

Organized by AVSI Brazil, Instituto Pólis, Boa Vista Municipality (RR), the Amazon Integral Ecology Association (AAEI), and other institutions, the event will present the first large-scale urban composting initiative in Brazil’s Legal Amazon region. It promotes circular bioeconomy, social inclusion, and climate mitigation within Boa Vista’s public urban waste policy, reducing CO₂ emissions and producing organic fertilizer to increase agricultural productivity for indigenous and non-indigenous families.

The panel, moderated by Fabrizio Pellicelli, AVSI Latin America Regional Manager, will bring together Arthur Henrique, Mayor of Boa Vista; Juliana Leitão or Heleno Bonfim from the Amazonia Integral Ecology Association; and Victor Argentino, Project Coordinator at the Polìs Institute, for an engaging discussion.