The United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 28), which will take place in Dubai, faces an agenda full of expectations and challenges. The analysis of the socio-environmental situation of the Brazilian Amazon provides a critical context for the discussions taking place in this global forum. The premises highlighted are relevant for constructing a practical agenda and tangible results regarding climate policies and sustainable development.

The assertion that environmental services in the Amazon are essential for life on Earth places the region as one of the main topics for climate discussions. The understanding that the Amazon is vital in maintaining the global ecological balance underpins the urgency for firmer commitments and concrete actions at COP 28.

The valuation of Amazon's environmental services by respected entities such as UNEP, the World Bank, and the GCF signals a growing awareness of the economic value of ecological functions. However, translating these values into effective financial mechanisms and conservation strategies remains an imminent challenge for COP 28 delegates.

The discrepancy between the global value of Amazon's environmental services and the region's low Human Development Index (HDI) highlights a critical flaw in the distribution of the benefits of sustainable development. This contradiction points to the need for a more holistic and integrated approach, which combines environmental conservation with the socioeconomic progress of local communities.

Given these premises, we expect that COP 28 will equate local (incalculable) costs with global (free) conservation benefits. The challenge of reconciling conservation demands with human development needs is urgent. It will be crucial to address financial compensation for ecological services, establishing robust mechanisms that ensure that the benefits of environmental preservation are direct costs in the well-being of local populations. Furthermore, the conference must work to strengthen environmental governance, promote equity in the distribution of resources, and encourage community participation in the management of natural resources.

COP 28 is also an opportunity for countries to reaffirm their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The need for action is vast and clear by climate science, which continues to provide compelling evidence of global warming and its disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable regions, such as the Amazon.

Therefore, it is an expectation that COP 28 will be a milestone in articulating a more cohesive and effective global response to climate change. A balance must be sought between the environmental imperative and social justice, ensuring that the inestimable value of the Amazon is recognized not only in monetary terms but also in the advancement of human development and the protection of the rights of communities that directly depend on the forest for their livelihood and culture.

The international community looks to COP 28 with the expectation that there will be significant progress in implementing policies that reflect a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent to the Amazon issue and provide a model for managing other vital ecosystems worldwide.