The NGO's first participation in the UN conference was marked by a strong commitment to the just transition agendas.
COP30 officially ends today, Friday, November 21, and Revolusolar actively served as panels that sought to bring to the debates how vulnerable populations (women, black people, people from favelas, suburbs, quilombola, extractivist, indigenous, rural and riverine communities) that are among the most impacted by the effects of the climate crisis and by historical inequalities in the distribution of infrastructure, sanitation, energy and rights are directly impacted by climate change. Both at official and parallel events, Revolusolar representatives sought to demonstrate how the solutions that the organization has developed, focused on renewable energy for low-income populations, could contribute to a just and inclusive energy transition, which creates opportunities for those who need it most.
The delegation was attended by Graziella Albuquerque (Director of Institutional and Governmental Relations); Adriano Paraíso (Director of People and Communities); Sara Hins (Project Leader); and Dinei Medina (President of the Percília and Lúcio Renewable Energy Cooperative and Mobilization Advisor at Revolusolar).
The panels that the organization participated addressed topics such as “Access to energy in Latin America: expanding inclusive and just solutions”; also acting in debates such as “Unlocking community funding for clean energy and small green businesses in emerging markets”; and “Brazil's Innovations for Universal Access to Energy”.
In addition to the debates, during the climate meeting, Revolusolar was side by side with indigenous people, quilombola people, extractivists, black women, peripherals, and extractivists who echoed a firm and non-negotiable request: To be at the center of the COP30 decisions. The contrast between these powerful voices and the harsh reality portrayed in the Green Zone where they saw indigenous people scattered on the floor of the pavilion painfully exposed the inequality that still structures these spaces. It was an urgent reminder of why they were there and of everything that still needs to change.
“In the year in which Revolusolar celebrates 10 years of life, it has been a real gift to participate in our first COP. We experienced remarkable moments from the Porongas march to the projection carried out by our partners on the trees in the center of Belém, including the presence at fundamental panels on energy transition. All of this reaffirms that we are on the right path, aligned with the construction of a truly just transition. The climate emergency is not an opinion: it is an urgent call that requires our attention now”, points out Adriano Paraíso.
“I would like to highlight the great importance of an NGO like Revolusolar, which works directly with social impact in favelas, traditional, rural, quilombola and riverside communities, to be participating in a COP in Brazil, in Belém do Pará. Revolusolar's participation is even more significant because it brings a diverse team and this allows us to present the work in a legitimate way, to participate in panels and spaces for dialogue, and to reinforce that it is possible, yes, to build a path for a just, inclusive and popular energy transition”, points out Sara Hins.
For the Project leader, one of the main moments of this participation was also the Porongas Walk: “Being present on this historic journey, alongside peoples and communities that are guardians of the forest and life, reinforces Revolusolar's commitment to an energy transition that respects territories and places climate justice at the center,” she recalls.
Sara also points out that another fundamental point was the Global Climate March: “After two COPs held in countries with strong repression of demonstrations and protests, seeing more than 70,000 people on the streets of Belém reaffirming that we will continue to resist and fight for the right of all peoples, was a powerful milestone. The march demonstrates that civil society remains active, mobilized and committed to a just climate future.
“In view of this experience, I stress that Revolusolar will maintain and strengthen, in its matrix of responsibilities, the commitment to respect and listen carefully to territorial actors and actors. There is no construction, much less energy transition, without the people of the territories actually feeling listened to and considered at the center of the processes”, concludes Adriano Paraíso, Director of People and Communities.
