Towards a Roadmap to Zero Deforestation: Inputs and Considerations

COP30 in Belém marks the beginning of a new phase in the global climate agenda focused on implementation. In this context, the Brazilian COP30 Presidency is expected to deliver two Roadmaps by November 2026 to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement: one on Forests and Climate and another on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels. These initiatives represent both a challenge and an opportunity for Brazil and its partners to present climate action as a synergistic and integrated effort. The proposed Roadmaps also offer an opportunity to elevate forests to a strategic role in climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental conservation, and inclusive sustainable development, while helping align multilateral initiatives that remain fragmented across and beyond the United Nations system. In line with the Global Climate Mutirão — a collective mobilization effort proposed by Brazil’s COP30 Presidency — this Bulletin contributes initial reflections on the content and development process of a Roadmap to Zero Deforestation. Drawing on Brazil’s domestic policy experience and diplomatic practice, the analysis highlights lessons from forest countries, particularly tropical forest nations, in combating illegality, addressing environmental crime, and promoting economic pathways compatible with standing forests. The Bulletin also emphasizes the importance of inclusive and robust multilateral processes to develop instruments such as Roadmaps capable of accelerating multi-actor and multi-level climate planning, action, and mobilization in response to climate urgency and scientific consensus. Structured in five parts, the Bulletin discusses the role of Roadmaps in global climate governance, presents them as platforms for coordinated action, and offers inputs for the development of a Roadmap to Zero Deforestation based on Brazil’s policy trajectory in controlling deforestation and its diplomatic engagement in initiatives such as the “Baku to Belém Roadmap to US$1.3 trillion.” It also outlines strategic considerations regarding narrative framing, operationalization, and recommendations for the Roadmap’s design and development process.