Rio Nature & Climate Week spotlights Global South climate solutions

The inaugural Rio Nature & Climate Week concluded on 5 June in Rio de Janeiro, centering the debate on proposals and solutions from the Global South – Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, which together hold about 90 % of the remaining tropical forests and 80 % of the planet’s biodiversity. Institute Natureza e Clima Brazil president Rodrigo Medeiros said the Global South “has a forum of our own” and wants its demands, opportunities and solutions amplified worldwide.

A key focus was rapid mitigation of methane, a potent short‑lived greenhouse gas. Medeiros warned that “if 30 % – or a third – of the warming problem is caused by methane, cutting it could reduce the problem by 30 %”. He highlighted capture technologies that turn landfill methane into biogas and urged a shift away from livestock‑intensive protein production.

Former climate‑change secretary Ana Toni underscored methane reduction as “the fastest way to buy time in the climate fight”. Indigenous Peoples Minister Eloy Terena stressed the link between climate leadership and indigenous land rights, noting Brazil’s recent cuts in deforestation alerts.

The week ended with a free concert in Botafogo featuring Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and the Marley children, tying cultural expression to the event’s climate message.