COP30 ended 2 months ago. EcoCitizen and other global delegations have long left Belém. What legacy does it leave beyond COP decisions on paper? Let’s be honest: a global conference of this magnitude is bound to leave a massive ecological footprint. While the structural impact of such a massive event was largely beyond our control, we refused to let that be an excuse for our own operations. We couldn’t change the nature of the conference, but we could ensure that the Luxembourg Pavilion didn’t just leave waste behind.
In line with our mission, we made a strategic decision early in the planning phase: we would not just minimise waste; we would source materials and items that could generate long-term value for the local community, long after COP30 was over.
Keeping Resources in the Loop
Instead of shipping materials back to Europe or discarding them in local landfills, we identified a meaningful second life for our pavilion’s assets: the Dom Pedro II public school in the local Marco neighborhood.
COP30 was already over. Members of the EcoCitizen team stayed on to salvage as much of the valuable resources from the Pavilion in the COP venue as possible. A week later, our Director, Adriana Gonzaléz, visited the school to officially hand over a truck-load of furniture, materials, useful items, plants and artwork. It didn’t make sense to ship furniture halfway across the world to sit in storage. We wanted these materials to keep being useful, we want them to be part of people’s daily lives.
What We Left Behind
We donated several key elements from the Luxembourg Pavilion that are now permanent resources for the school:
The honeycomb benches: These seats hosted high-level events and debates during COP30. Ministers, Diplomats, Civil Society Leaders… people from all over the world sat on these benches. Now they inspire students and the next generations. Engineered from recycled paper with a unique honeycomb structure, they serve as a tactile lesson for students on how organic material can be turned into durable and functional furniture.
Amazonian Flora: The native plants that brought green life to our pavilion have been replanted in the school grounds and used around the classrooms and offices.
Art Across Borders: We also donated a custom art installation put together by EcoCitizen. A wooden frame built by a local carpenter from reclaimed pieces of discarded timber in which we displayed traditional amazonian tipiti woven tubes, hand woven baskets, and wooden stakes used by local fishermen to weave their nets. Alongside these symbols of Amazonian culture, we strung postcards written by Luxembourgish youth to COP delegates, literally weaving together the traditions of Belém and the voices of young Luxembourgers.
A Shared Legacy
María Aparecida, the Director of Dom Pedro II School, welcomed the donation as an inspiration and as a practical boost for the students’ environment.
“COP30 was a major event for Belém. Classes were cancelled for 2 weeks and our school was closed. For school pupils these big international events can feel distant from their daily reality. We’re really grateful to EcoCitizen for going the extra mile and being so thoughtful. Having these unique things here around our school will make our students feel like they were part of COP. This will inspire them to think globally and learn about climate and nature.”
A Model for Future Events
“We talk a lot about ‘regeneration’ at EcoCitizen,” said Adriana Gonzaléz during her visit with the students. “That has to apply to how we behave, not just what we research. We are well aware of how much of an impact these conferences have. But we also know how indispensable they are, the world needs COPs. So let us think about our behaviour and how we do things at them. We couldn’t justify throwing away perfectly good furniture, plants, or art. Or shipping things to Luxembourg. We know it can serve you here at your school in Bairro Marco. It’s a small step in the grand scheme of COP30, but it is the right one.”
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