Amazon industry announces innovative program against illegal deforestation at Climate Week NYC
- Mayra Leal
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
New York – September 24, 2025 – Amid global discussions on climate and sustainability at Climate Week NYC, the Federation of Industries of the State of Pará (FIEPA) and Jornada COP+, a multi-sector movement from the Brazilian Amazon, announced the Program to Combat Illegal Deforestation and Wildfires, a pioneering private-sector initiative designed to accelerate Brazil’s goal of ending illegal deforestation by 2030.
According to Alex Carvalho, president of FIEPA and Jornada COP+, the program is a direct response to mounting environmental and economic pressures facing the Amazon. “By refusing to tolerate illegal practices, we are confronting the reality that illegal deforestation destroys the forest, pollutes rivers, and undermines the Amazon’s reputation, bringing profound economic and geopolitical consequences. Amazon industry is committed to being an active part of this global task force,” Carvalho said.
Initially focused on the state of Pará, the program is structured around three main pillars: conducting studies to assess the economic cost of illegal deforestation for both industry and the region’s reputation; mobilizing and engaging companies from strategic sectors such as beef, timber, grains, and others, alongside civil society; and implementing direct action in monitoring deforestation and wildfires through support for firefighting brigades, information reporting, and coordination with relevant authorities. The initiative also foresees the creation of a Forest Observatory to systematize data and evidence, and a permanent platform to highlight best practices in sustainable production.
One of the program’s key milestones will be the signing of a Commitment Charter by productive sectors during COP30 in Belém, establishing measurable zero tolerance targets against illegal deforestation. Based on the Pará experience, the initiative may later be expanded to the other eight states of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. Deryck Martins, technical coordinator of Jornada COP+ and part of the delegation in New York, emphasized the program’s unprecedented character. “This is the first time Amazon industry has organized a program for direct action against illegal deforestation and wildfires. We are engaging productive sectors and society at large in a collective effort that combines transparency, technological innovation, and responsible governance”.
The announcement comes at a time of declining deforestation rates in Brazil. Data released last month by National Institute for Space Research (INPE) showed satellite monitoring revealed a drop in deforestation alerts across three major biomes between August 2024 and July 2025. On Amazon, alerts fell by nearly 50%. Despite still leading in deforested areas, Pará registered a 21% decrease compared to the previous period.
Brazil has pledged to eliminate illegal deforestation by 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement targets. The program led by FIEPA and Jornada COP+ positions the Brazilian private sector as a key contributor to this goal, while reinforcing Amazon's role as a strategic hub for sustainable investment. “We want to show that economic development and standing forests can go hand in hand. That is the true meaning of a just transition,” Carvalho concluded in New York.
Guidelines for a low-carbon economy
As part of its Climate Week agenda, Jornada COP+ also launched the Guidelines for a Low-Carbon Economy in the Amazon, presented to authorities including Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, COP30's president.
The document compiles recommendations developed collectively by nearly 200 professionals across ten technical committees, offering pathways to reconcile economic growth, social inclusion, and forest conservation. These guidelines will be further detailed at official and side events during COP30 in Belém, underscoring the Amazon’s leadership in the global climate and sustainability debate.
About Jornada COP+
Jornada COP+ is a multi-sector movement from the Brazilian Amazon launched in May 2024, bringing together companies, governments, civil society, and local communities around the concept of a just transition for the region. Its mission is to prepare the Amazon beyond COP30, taking place in Belém in November 2025, and to leave long-term legacies for a low-carbon economy.
The initiative is organized into ten technical committees, including communications and advocacy, infrastructure and logistics, investment attraction, socio-bioeconomy, circular economy, and low carbon.
