Live from Belém (Brazil) • Inside COP30 highlights
Dear ClimateMind friends,
Over the past days here at COP30 in Belém, I’ve been reminded again and again that climate diplomacy is, at its core, a human system. The emotional and psychological currents in the rooms here have been shaping the pace and direction of cooperation in very real ways.
One highlight of this week was a deeply meaningful moment for me personally: being interviewed by Laura Millan Lombraña from Bloomberg — one of the most respected global media outlets reporting on climate and international affairs. It was both exciting and humbling to see psychological insights recognised as essential to climate diplomacy on such a prominent platform.
In this newsletter, you’ll also find our new report on the psychology of disinformation, which feels urgently needed. Disinformation is shaping not only public perception but also relationships between negotiators and the trust that underpins cooperation. The report breaks down how disinformation works and what we can do to counter it — including concrete recommendations for COP30.
You’ll also find a preview of our three psychology-focused side events taking place this week, where I’m honoured to bring together experts from diplomacy, mental health, adaptation, and frontline communities. Each session is designed to make the human layer of climate governance more visible — and more actionable.
I’m grateful to have you with us during this intense, meaningful moment — and I hope these insights, reports, and events help strengthen the human foundations of climate action, here at COP30 and beyond.
After releasing The Psychology of International Climate Policy last week, we are proud to share a second major piece of work that feels urgently needed.
Disinformation is not just a communications challenge. It shapes how people perceive climate action, how negotiators understand each other, and how trust is built or eroded in international cooperation. This report offers:
✅ A clear overview of what disinformation is and why it matters ✅ Insights into how disinformation works from a psychological perspective ✅ What makes people vulnerable to manipulative narratives ✅ Concrete strategies to counter disinformation in climate contexts ✅ Actionable recommendations for COP30
“Disinformation thrives in the cracks of uncertainty. Psychology helps us understand those cracks — and how we can fill them with clarity, empathy, and resilience.”
One of the moments that stayed with me most this week was my conversation with Laura Millan Lombraña from Bloomberg — a newsroom that plays a major role in shaping global climate conversations on the decision-making level.
Speaking with her offered a rare chance to shine a light on something I witness in every negotiation room here in Belém: that climate diplomacy is profoundly human.
In the end, our conversation kept circling back to one idea: If we want ambitious, implementable climate outcomes, we must build psychological intelligence into the structures of multilateralism — not leave it to chance.
I’m incredibly excited for the interview to be published — it should come out later this week — and curious to see how these psychological insights land in the wider climate community at this pivotal COP.
👉 Stay tuned — we’ll post the interview the moment it’s published. I’d love to hear your reflections once it’s out.➡️ follow us on LinkedIn
📅Meet Us at Our COP Side Events!
At COP30 in Belém, psychology plays a key role in how cooperation, ambition, and resilience are built. We are excited to organise and speak at three sessions that bring a human-centred lens into climate governance and adaptation.
Event 1 — Psychology of Mutirão (official UNFCCC Side Event) Tue, 18 Nov • 11:30–13:00 BRT • Side Event Room 2 How trust, identity, emotions, and collective intelligence shape ambitious and just climate governance — inspired by Mutirão and insights from diplomacy, academia, and frontline regions.
Event 2 — Climate Adaptation to Protect Mental Health Wed, 19 Nov • 12:00–13:00 BRT • Health Pavilion Why mental health must become a core pillar of adaptation, including NAPs, the Global Goal on Adaptation, and finance — with perspectives from youth, Indigenous worldviews, and global mental health experts.
Event 3 — Psychology of Mutirão: Workshop & Discussion Wed, 19 Nov • 16:00–17:00 BRT • GCCM Pavilion An applied discussion on psychological insights for negotiation behaviour, mental health, adaptation, and Loss & Damage — and how to use them to strengthen COP30’s Mutirão approach.
We are highly passionate about bringing psychology into the heart of international climate diplomacy — and COP30 is the moment where this work truly unfolds.
To make the human layer of the COP visible in real time, we're sharing daily live insights from Belém via our new WhatsApp channel:
🔹 psychological dynamics in negotiations 🔹 trust and collaboration signals 🔹 emotional atmosphere of the COP 🔹 frontline perspectives 🔹 behind-the-scenes reflections from meetings, interviews, and side events
If you’re a delegate, journalist, observer, policymaker, researcher, or simply curious about what shapes cooperation at a global scale — you’re warmly invited to join our channel: ➡️ subscribe forlive COP insights.
After COP, the real work continues — and it starts with staying connected. In our international ClimateMind WhatsApp community, you’re not just following updates — you’re connecting with peers who care about psychological climate action long after COP30 is over. This space invites real dialogue, shared learning, and meaningful exchange that continues to grow with every perspective added: ➡️ become part of the ClimateMind community
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