Notícias
Responsible Mining on the Agenda at COP30
The Brazilian Mining Agency (ANM) is taking part in the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), held from 10 to 21 November in Belém, in the state of Pará. The Agency will be represented by Director José Fernando de Mendonça Gomes Júnior, head of the Northern Regional Directorate, which covers the states of Pará, Amazonas, Roraima and Amapá. His participation is confirmed at the Blue Zone, the area where negotiations, official events, and debates among UN member countries take place.
With a comprehensive programme of panels and meetings, the Agency will join discussions on sustainable mining, critical minerals and environmental governance. The objective is to reaffirm its commitment to the energy transition and the country’s mineral sovereignty. Brazil plays a strategic role in supplying essential minerals for low-carbon technologies such as batteries, turbines and electric vehicles.
Director José Fernando’s agenda begins on Monday, 10 November, at the Welcome Cocktail hosted by the Brazilian Mining Institute (Ibram) and the Union of Mineral Industries of Pará (Simineral) at the Casa da Mineração in Belém.
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On Tuesday, 11 November, the Director will participate in “Mineral Dialogues”, a talk show organised by Ibram with representatives from the sector.
On Wednesday, 12 November, he will feature in two key moments: in the afternoon, at the panel “Critical Minerals and the Energy Transition: the Importance of Brazil and International Cooperation”, promoted by the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil, in the Blue Zone – Cumaru.
On Thursday, 13 November, the Director will represent the Agency in a panel organised by the Civil House of the Presidency of the Republic, titled “Rio Doce: Justice, Governance and Financing of Sustainable Public Policies for Disaster Recovery”, and at the Industrial Excellence Forum, held in the auditorium of the Federation of Industries of the State of Pará (FIEPA).
In the following days, his schedule includes participation in the Connected Health Vessel initiative, organised by SESI on Friday, 14 November, and on Tuesday, 18 November, at the Innovation and Sustainability Summit, promoted by FIEPA at Casa SESI.
The programme continues until Wednesday, 19 November, when the Director will be a guest speaker at the Federal Council of Chemistry (CFQ) stand in the Blue Zone, addressing the strategic role of mining in the energy transition and sustainable development.
Through this broad engagement, the Brazilian Mining Agency reaffirms its position as a technical and regulatory leader in one of the most pressing debates of our time: how Brazil can transform its mineral wealth into innovation, sustainability and climate sovereignty.
Interview with Director José Fernando
ANM Press Office – Director, what is the main message that the Brazilian Mining Agency intends to convey at COP30 regarding the role of Brazilian mining in the climate agenda?
José Fernando – The central message is that Brazilian mining is an essential part of the global climate solution. It is present in the daily lives of nearly every municipality, often invisibly. Strategic minerals are pillars of the energy transition, electric mobility and industrial decarbonisation. Moreover, CFEM, the mining royalty, is one of the main sources of revenue for thousands of municipalities nationwide. The Agency’s focus is to promote traceable, transparent, socially responsible and environmentally safe mining that is also efficient and locally beneficial. The Brazilian Mining Agency is committed to ensuring that the wealth generated from Brazil’s natural resources translates into tangible and lasting benefits for society as a whole.
ANM Press Office – How is Brazil positioned in the global scenario of critical minerals and the energy transition, and how does this vision guide the Agency’s actions?
José Fernando – Brazil holds a strategic position in the emerging geopolitics of clean energy, owing to the predominance of renewable sources in its energy matrix. The growing global demand for green technologies underscores the urgency of strengthening the national chain of critical and strategic minerals — essential inputs for the energy transition. Brazil holds significant reserves of Rare Earth Elements (REEs), placing it in a privileged position globally. In view of this potential, the country has sought to consolidate its role through structural initiatives. Within this context, the Brazilian Mining Agency — responsible for managing the Union’s mineral resources and for the regulation and oversight of mineral exploitation activities — has created the Division of Critical and Strategic Minerals, under the Superintendence of Mineral Economics and Geoinformation. The new division aims to ensure specialised attention to processes related to this segment, from exploration to production. Among its duties are monitoring and assessing trends, public policies and regulations on critical and strategic minerals; conducting studies, diagnostics and reports on supply, demand and production chains; and developing and overseeing institutional projects and systems for the sector. This initiative strengthens the Agency’s commitment to sustainable development and reinforces Brazil’s position as a reliable supplier of essential resources to the global green economy.
ANM Press Office – Pará, host of COP30 and Brazil’s second-largest mining hub, represents both challenges and opportunities. What regional lessons do you intend to highlight during the event?
José Fernando – Pará is both symbolic and strategic for Brazil, not only for hosting COP30 this year. The state accounts for around 90% of national copper production and contains significant deposits of manganese, nickel, lithium and rare earths at advanced stages of development. Pará also stands out by accounting for roughly 42% of CFEM’s national revenue, strengthening both state and municipal governments with essential resources for investment in education, health, infrastructure and sustainable local development. This reality highlights the importance of integrated infrastructure, local workforce qualification, and alignment with the bioeconomy and the energy transition — essential components of sustainable mining. At the same time, the region poses challenges such as social inclusion, environmental balance and territorial integration. Advancing on these fronts requires cooperation among governments, the private sector and civil society to ensure that the benefits of mining are broad and lasting.
ANM Press Office – What type of international cooperation is essential for Brazil to strengthen the traceability, governance and added value of its mineral production?
José Fernando – Among the Agency’s priorities is international technical and regulatory cooperation, focusing on combating illegal mining, exchanging best practices in certification and traceability, and advancing governance and digitalisation. In addressing illegal mining, particularly in the Amazon, such cooperation should include intelligence sharing, database integration and the use of technologies like remote sensing — ensuring that Brazil’s mineral production is legal, sustainable and value-generating. These efforts are crucial to consolidating Brazil’s standing as a global reference in responsible mining, bringing lasting social, environmental and economic benefits.
Marize Torres Magalhães — ASCOM of ANM