by Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer at Microsoft
I have attended many COPs over the course of my career — 13 to be exact! I’ve experienced them from three different vantage points: first as part of the NGO community, then as part of a government delegation, and now as part of the business community. While the locations and headline topics seemingly change each year, one truth has remained constant across all the COPs I’ve joined: partnerships turn ambition into outcomes.
Here are my top three takeaways from COP30 in Belém:
1. The Amazon is a signal of what’s at stake.
The Amazon is a living system that sustains the planet. Its health signals the urgency of climate action. That’s why we’re partnering with MOMBAK on large-scale reforestation projects. Restoring native forests locks in carbon, protects biodiversity, and strengthens local communities. Nature-based solutions remain one of the most powerful tools we have.
2. Innovation is bending the carbon curve.
Brazil is showing what reinvention with innovation looks like. From Boston Metal, which opened a plant producing high value metals, cutting emissions by up to 90%, to Terradot, which is spreading basalt on farmland to capture carbon while improving soil health. These are just two examples showing that sustainable innovation is available today, helping industries move toward a more sustainable future.
3. AI isn’t on the horizon. It’s here.
AI is supercharging progress. Microsoft partnered with UNFCCC to launch the AI-powered Climate Data Hub that makes global climate datasets searchable, multilingual, and easy to use. This means everyone from climate delegates to independent users can act faster and smarter, turning data into decisions that matter.
Thank you to the people of Brazil and the city of Belém for hosting this important gathering. These conferences and negotiations are inherently complex and demanding, and there is always ongoing work to be addressed. As COP30 concludes, it’s clear that efforts must persist. And while transformation in this context may appear gradual, change does happen and will need to continue. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and continue to have to contribute to this work.
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