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Legislating climate ambition: The role of parliaments in global environmental negotiations

July 24, 2025 | Activity

As the international community prepares for COP30, set to take place this November at the heart of the Amazon region in Belém do Pará, Brazil, parliamentarians across the Americas and the Caribbean are taking proactive steps to strengthen their influence in the discussions and to ensure that the resulting multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) translate into meaningful national action. In this context, ParlAmericas convened the meeting Navigating COP Negotiations: A Guide for Parliamentarians on Participation and the Oversight of Multilateral Environmental Agreement Commitments. The dialogue that occurred, which was moderated by Senator Anthony Vieira of Trinidad and Tobago, Vice-President for the Caribbean for the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability (PNCCS), enabled parliamentarians and experts to exchange experiences and good practices for participating in COP and other MEA processes and fostering action on adopted commitments.

Opening the event, the Honourable Dr. Dessima Williams, President of the Senate of Grenada and ParlAmericas Board Member, underscored the need for parliamentarians to proactively shape and follow up on international agreements. Her remarks served as a timely reminder that COP outcomes extend far beyond negotiation halls and that parliamentary efforts should be grounded in oversight, inclusive policymaking, regional alliances, and public participation to close the gap between global ambition and national action. The imperative to connect international negotiations with national contexts was echoed by the President of ParlAmericas, Chilean Senator Iván Flores, who also called attention to the importance of strengthening parliamentary coordination ahead of COP30.

Meaningful parliamentary participation in multilateral climate deliberations begins well before delegates arrive at COP. Drawing from her experience, Senator the Honourable Rosa Galvez of Canada, President of the PNCCS, stressed the importance of early preparation, coordination with the executive, and sustained follow-up to ensure that national legislation and oversight are tailored to local realities.

As climate negotiations are consequential for generations to come, it is essential to include youth participation as a deliberate and well-supported component of international processes. Shurabe Mercado, a Mexican youth climate leader from YOUNGO and founder of SEHALUZ, emphasized the importance of identifying both formal and informal entry points into climate negotiations, noting that informal networking and bilateral meetings offer valuable channels to include youth’s perspectives in decision-making.

Building on this reflection, Dr. Daniel Buss, Unit Chief of the Climate Change and Health Unit at the Pan American Health Organization, underscored the critical importance of integrating health into climate negotiations. His intervention highlighted the role parliamentarians can play in making health systems more resilient through legislation and oversight that address the differentiated impacts of climate change on diverse societal groups.

Taken together, the insights shared during the meeting reaffirmed that parliamentary action is essential to the effective implementation of environmental agreements, from negotiation to oversight. Member of the Chamber of Deputies Margarita Stolbizer of Argentina, Vice-President for South America for the PNCCS, highlighted that sustained follow-up through committee studies, written questions to ministers, and cross-party collaboration can help monitor progress on Nationally Determined Contributions and other key commitments. As the countdown to COP30 continues, parliamentary engagement will be crucial not only to bridge global commitments with national realities, but also to raise the ambition of climate action across the Americas and the Caribbean, ensuring that voices from the region shape and inform the outcomes of this pivotal Summit.

This activity was made possible with the support of the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada.