The Amazon is more than the world’s largest tropical forest. It is also home to thriving urban centers, diverse cultures, and a living laboratory for innovation. Its rivers, communities, and ecosystems connect the entire South American continent, sustaining livelihoods and influencing global climate stability. Yet, poverty, inequality, extractive industries, and environmental degradation continue to push the region toward an irreversible tipping point. The challenge before us is not only to conserve, but also to reimagine how development in the Amazon can empower its people while protecting the natural systems on which the world depends.
With special thanks to Banpará (Banco do Estado do Pará), the 2025 Concordia Amazonas Summit convened in Belém, Brazil, at a historic moment. Building on the momentum of the 2023 Summit in Ecuador and the 2024 Summit in Guyana, this year’s gathering brought together leaders from government, civil society, academia, business, and indigenous communities.
With the city of Belém’s commitment to host this year’s COP30, much of the Summit was spent discussing and preparing the city for a successful conference in November. The decisions and solutions that were discussed at the Amazonas Summit this year will serve as a blueprint for Belem as they move into preparing for COP30.