November 11, 2025

Jane Goodall Institute on COP30: “Act with the urgency, integrity, and unity that this moment demands”

Photo: Kristin Mosher

As the world gathers in Belém do Pará for COP30, the Jane Goodall Institute Global (JGI) recognizes the profound and urgent symbolism of convening in the Amazon – the single most vital ecosystem for planetary health. We sincerely thank the Government of Brazil and its people for their dedication in hosting this crucial gathering at a time when the world’s ecological future is at risk. Alongside the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia’s tropical forests, the Amazon forms part of the planet’s essential life support system, underpinning global climate regulation, biodiversity preservation, and the protection of irreplaceable Indigenous cultures and knowledge.

This COP also marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement, a significant milestone that calls for renewed ambition, comprehensive accountability, and global unity. Therefore, this is a critical moment to strengthen the vital collaboration between the three Rio Conventions – on Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification. JGI Global affirms that the interconnected goals of these conventions must be addressed through integrated, inclusive, and science-based solutions that go beyond siloed policies to protect our shared planet.

Honoring a Legacy of Hope and Action

This COP marks the first without the physical presence of the late Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace, and world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian, who passed away at the age of 91 from natural causes on October 1st, 2025.

Dr. Jane was renowned worldwide for her research on wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, which began 65 years ago and continues to the present, making it one of the most extensive studies of a species in the wild. However, later in her life, she expanded her focus to become a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species conservation, and environmental protection, among many other vital issues. Jane was dedicated to inspiring young people to participate in conservation and humanitarian projects, leading numerous educational initiatives centred on both wild and captive chimpanzees. She was consistently motivated by her fascination with the mysteries of evolution and her unwavering conviction in the fundamental importance of respecting all forms of life on Earth.

Jane Goodall’s voice continues to guide us. In one of her final reflections, she reminded us: “We understand all the different ways that we can combat and slow climate change. But do we have the will?”

Nature at the Heart of Climate Action

The urgency of the climate crisis requires us to fully recognize the vital role of nature as a key solution and defense mechanism. Intact ecosystems, particularly forests, wetlands, and oceans, are not merely passive recipients of climate impacts; they serve as the Earth’s primary carbon sinks. Nature provides two-thirds of the climate mitigation needed to stabilize global temperatures. Additionally, healthy ecosystems boost resilience against the growing impacts of climate change. Therefore, protecting and restoring these natural assets on a large scale must be clearly established as a central and integrated part of all national climate strategies and international cooperation frameworks.

Climate Finance: A Moral and Strategic Imperative

Climate finance is a moral and strategic obligation that demands immediate and substantial expansion. We advocate for a decisive boost in climate funding and a fundamental overhaul of its mechanisms to guarantee broad accessibility for the nations and communities most severely affected by the climate crisis. This commitment must prioritize direct financing for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and youth-led initiatives, recognizing their vital role as custodians of nature and frontline builders of resilience. Additionally, financing must be strategically aligned to support a balanced mix of both ambitious mitigation and essential adaptation measures, with the requirement that all capital flows are explicitly integrated with and fully compatible with biodiversity conservation and sustainable development goals.

Indigenous Peoples: Knowledge Keepers and Leaders

The Jane Goodall Institute acknowledges that Indigenous Peoples around the world are some of the most effective environmental stewards. Their centuries-old traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), customary governance, and stewardship are essential assets for addressing urgent challenges rooted in climate change and biodiversity loss. It is therefore vital to explicitly recognize, integrate, and protect their rights, leadership, and knowledge systems in all national climate and biodiversity strategies. Their engagement and leadership are key to reaching climate and nature targets, and it represents a crucial step toward creating fair, effective, and sustainable global solutions.

Great Apes and Forest Integrity: An Ethical and Ecological Imperative

Scientific research, including decades of JGI studies, clearly shows that the survival of Great Apes – orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos, our closest living relatives – is critically linked to the health of vital tropical forests in Africa and Asia. These charismatic species face increasing threats from habitat destruction, climate crisis, and rising human pressures. This danger is compounded by the global demand for exotic species, which fuels illegal trade and often results in the brutal killing of entire family groups to capture young apes for the pet or entertainment markets illegally. Protecting their habitats is not only an ethical obligation but also a scientifically proven climate action strategy. Great Apes serve as keystone and umbrella species; safeguarding their forest ecosystems ensures substantial carbon capture, maintains maximum biodiversity, and supports the resilience and well-being of local communities.

Combating Transnational Wildlife Crime: Shared Global Responsibility

Transnational organized wildlife crime is now the fourth largest criminal activity worldwide, and its symbiotic relationship with broader environmental destruction poses a serious, urgent threat to biodiversity, especially to all threatened and endangered species. The international community, through multiple UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolutions, has clearly recognized wildlife trafficking as a serious crime that undermines national security, the rule of law, and sustainable development. This illegal value chain, exacerbated by widespread corruption and the vulnerability of local ecosystems, must be dismantled through coordinated global efforts. JGI urges state actors and NGOs work in collaboration to ensure that source countries strengthen enforcement and governance; transit countries enhance border security and intelligence sharing; and, crucially, destination countries take full responsibility by implementing robust demand reduction strategies and stricter penalties for consumption and importation.

Community-Led Conservation: The Foundation for Lasting Change

At the core of the Jane Goodall Institute’s philosophy is a strong belief that sustainable conservation must be led by local communities. Our internationally recognized Tacare community-led conservation approach – developed over decades in Africa – provides a powerful, evidence-based model demonstrating that when local communities are genuinely empowered to manage their natural resources, the results are transformative for people, wildlife, and ecosystems alike. This approach acknowledges that environmental stewardship is connected to strengthening essential pillars of human development, including education, health care, sustainable livelihoods, food security and access to resources, including land rights. JGI Global, operating in over 30 countries through this research-based, community-focused method, remains fully committed to Dr. Goodall’s vision: a world where people, animals, and the environment coexist in harmony.

A Call for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence:

As global society rapidly enters the era of Artificial Intelligence, we face a vital choice: to ensure that this power benefits the planet or risk its misuse. Dr. Goodall’s vision is clear: “These technologies should be considered as tools used to address the needs of local communities and support them in their stewardship of the land so that it will improve the lives of people, animals and the environment, all of which is interconnected.” AI must be a force for worldwide good, boosting conservation efforts through tools like forest monitoring apps, bioacoustics and camera trap sensors, and data-driven biodiversity protection, which also supports the fight against wildlife crime.

We urge that governments, technology developers, and international organizations prioritize and formalize ethical AI governance. This mandate necessitates principles that highlight ownership, transparency, inclusivity, and strong ecological responsibility. Most importantly, AI design and deployment must be driven by compassion for all living beings – both human and non-human. AI’s strategic role is to support communities, protect the natural environment, and defend the inherent rights of all species, ensuring that technological progress remains closely linked to planetary well-being.

Final Remarks

As we mark a decade since the Paris Agreement, we call on all leaders at COP30 to act with the urgency, integrity, and unity that this moment demands. Let us honour Jane Goodall’s legacy not only with words, but with action. In her words, “Together we can. Together we will. Together we must.”