EcoCitizen’s Chairman Salvatore Coppola-Finegan participated in a high-level mission in Brazil as part of the preparations for the upcoming Cambiamento climatico delle Nazioni Unite COP30 in Belém. The visit included engagement with communities, universities, and key institutions, as well as active participation in the International Congress “10 Years After Laudato Si’: Ecological Debt and Public Hope” hosted at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio).
Global Voices for Climate and Social Justice
The congress brought together more than 200 university rectors, deans, presidents, and experts from Latin America, Europe, and beyond. The dialogue focused on how to design coordinated strategies that integrate science, traditional knowledge, technological innovation, and faith-based perspectives in addressing today’s climate and ecological crises.
One of the most memorable highlights was the intervention of Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, who delivered an inspiring keynote on the urgency of debt-for-nature swaps and the need for a new global financial architecture that supports life and justice for future generations.
EcoCitizen’s Contributions
EcoCitizen shared its flagship project ANNEMARIE – Advanced Network for Nature and Ecosystem Monitoring through Artificial Intelligence and Remote-sensing for Innovation in Ecology, which was presented as an example of innovative approaches to ecosystem monitoring. Alongside colleagues from the Laudato Si’ Research Institute (LSRI), Campion Hall, University of Oxford, EcoCitizen contributed to discussions linking biodiversity, technology, and social-ecological resilience.
In the closing sessions, Salvatore Coppola-Finegan joined with international partners to issue a public call to action that emphasized:
Implementing debt-for-nature swaps as a path toward financial and ecological justice.
Recognizing the planetary value of biodiversity and climate regulation by ecosystems in the Global South.
Responding to the ecological and social crises with a particular focus on the most vulnerable: the poor, women, children, and people with disabilities.
Towards COP30 in Belém
The Brazil mission underscored EcoCitizen’s commitment to bridging science, policy, and communities on the road to COP30. By engaging across borders and sectors, EcoCitizen continues to contribute to an inclusive, justice-oriented agenda for climate action — one that integrates ecological integrity with social responsibility, echoing the spirit of Laudato Si’.
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