Climate solutions from and for the Amazon region: radical collaboration based on science, business, local knowledge and networks

Presented by NYU Wagner Faculty Salo Coslovsky

September
23
9:00am - 10:30am EDT
General Public
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Date:
September 23, 2025
Time:
9:00am - 10:30am
Location:
Main Event Space, Rm. 101, 105 East 17th Street
Audience:
General Public

The Amazon stands at the edge of its tipping point, with the convergence of deforestation, fire, and climate change risks undermining its role as a global climate regulator. In the months leading up to a critical COP in the region itself, it becomes essential to highlight both the science that warns of systemic collapse and the solutions that can redirect the region’s trajectory. Research has shown how recurrent fires and land degradation accelerate feedback loops that threaten to transform vast areas of rainforest into a degraded ecosystem without the capacity to restore to its original condition, with dire consequences for rainfall patterns across South America, biodiversity, and the planet’s carbon balance. Elevating this evidence on a global stage underscores the urgency of collective action.
At the same time, the Amazon is also a fertile ground of opportunities. Sustainable pathways rooted in bioeconomy, Indigenous and local science, and nature-based solutions can reconcile forest conservation with economic development. By connecting science with practice, and aligning climate, biodiversity, and social agendas, the region can model a new paradigm of prosperity that safeguards ecosystems while fostering community resilience. Showcasing these approaches during NY Climate Week provides a unique opportunity to catalyse ambition ahead of the next climate COP, demonstrating how the Amazon is not only a global concern but also a source of innovation and leadership for a climate-safe future.

Event Format and Key-Objectives:
The event will bring scientists, local leaders and policymakers together to bridge science, practice, and policy. It will consist of a high-level panel and debate addressing the following guiding issues:
What does the most recent science reveal about Amazon tipping points, and what are the global implications of forest loss and recurrent fires?

How can solutions rooted in indigenous and local knowledge, and nature-based practices, reconcile forest conservation with economic development? How to finance these opportunities?

What opportunities do COP30 and other global climate processes offer to align climate, biodiversity, and social agendas, showcasing the Amazon as both a global concern and a source of innovation?

How can science, policy, and local action converge to build resilience for both ecosystems and communities, turning risk into opportunity?

Expected Outcomes
Elevate scientific evidence on Amazon tipping points to the global stage.

Showcase practical solutions and innovations already emerging in the region.

Highlight the leadership of Indigenous peoples and local communities in building sustainable pathways.

Inspire global actors to commit to Amazon-centered actions in the run-up to COP30.

Catalyse partnerships that connect science, finance, and practice for scalable impact.

Speakers
Ane Alencar, Director of Science, IPAM
Carlos Nobre, Co-Chair, Science Panel for the Amazon
Emma Torres, VP of the Americas & Strategic Partnerships, SDSN
Lívia Pagotto, Executive Secretary, Amazon Concertation
Rachel Biderman, Secretariat Strategic Advisor, Pan-Amazon Network for Bioeconomy
Denis Minev, Private Sector Special Envoy for COP30

TBD, NYU

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