The International Institute for Climate Action (IICA), as the first association of climate change and policy experts, held the IICA PRE-COP30 event on Wednesday at the Esplanade Hotel, which served as an introduction and as a support for the Croatian business and financial sector as well as the Government for the upcoming world’s largest climate conference COP30, which will be held from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
The event brought together representatives of Croatian institutions, diplomacy and the economy (large and medium-sized companies), with the aim of strengthening understanding of the importance of the COP process and the role of Croatia and Brazil in global climate action. The meeting was moderated by the President of IICA and Special Envoy/Advisor for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia, Marija Pujo Tadić, who opened the meeting with an introductory speech and introduced the keynote speakers.

Višnja Grgasović (Head of the Sector for Financing, Implementation and Monitoring of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction, MZOZT), H.E. Ms. Silvana Polich (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Croatia), Marija Pujo Tadić (President of IICA and Special Envoy/Advisor for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia) and Marija Vučković (Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition of the Republic of Croatia)

The first speaker, Ms. Marija Vučković, Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition, emphasized that Croatia participates as a constructive partner in all negotiations that support the European Union’s climate ambitions, but also strives to maintain a realistic and pragmatic approach.
The Minister linked Croatia’s climate policy perspectives with expectations from the upcoming COP30, emphasizing the importance of energy security, low-carbon technologies, nuclear energy, and affordable energy prices.
“Investments in renewable energy sources, decarbonization of heating, and low-carbon transport are already underway, and new EU funds will enable an even stronger move towards the green transition,” the Minister said.

Vučković also stressed the importance of adaptation and resilience to climate change, noting that Europe, including Croatia, is one of the fastest warming regions in the world. She added that green adaptation and measurable indicators that enable effective monitoring and reporting will be among the key topics of COP30.
The Minister also presented several projects implemented by the Ministry and encouraged cooperation between the public and private sectors, development banks, and vertical funds. “Croatia is striving to make continuous efforts, led by the Government and the Prime Minister, towards a green transition that leaves no one behind,” she concluded.

H.E. Ms. Silvana Polich (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Croatia), Marija Pujo Tadić (President of IICA and Special Envoy/Advisor for Climate Action of the Republic of Croatia) and Marija Vučković (Minister of Environmental Protection and Green Transition of the Republic of Croatia)

H. E. Silvana Polich, Ambassador of Brazil to the Republic of Croatia, presented Belém as the host of COP30 and highlighted the symbolism of holding the conference in the heart of the Amazon, one of the most important natural systems for mitigating climate change.
The ambassador spoke about the new Brazilian initiative Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), whose mission “tropical forests forever” is aimed at rewarding countries that preserve tropical forests, with 20% of the funds reserved for indigenous peoples.
An initial US$1 billion has already been secured for the TFFF, with Brazil serving as trustee and hosting the secretariat, while the World Bank will support initial operations, coordination and reporting.
Polich also emphasized the importance of promoting sustainable fuels, with the goal of quadrupling their production and use by 2035, within the Belém Commitment for Sustainable Fuels initiative.
She concluded that COP30 will be a “COP of implementation”, a conference where the world must move “from promises to action”.

Višnja Grgasović (Head of the Sector for Financing, Implementation and Monitoring of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction, MZOZT), H.E. Ms. Silvana Polich (Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil to the Republic of Croatia)

As the last speaker, Višnja Grgasović, Head of the Sector for Financing, Implementation and Monitoring of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction (MZOZT), presented the Road to COP30 presentation, emphasizing that COP30 will be crucial for increasing global ambition and implementing the Paris Agreement.
“Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C requires a rapid, deep and sustainable reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels,” emphasized Grgasović, warning that “the science is clear, every fraction of a degree matters, as climate disasters are rapidly worsening.”
She also presented the key goals of the European Union: a new joint NDC with a plan to reduce emissions by 66–72.5% by 2035, and the mobilization of 1.3 trillion US dollars in climate finance by 2035.

She also emphasized the need to adopt adaptation indicators and establish a Center for Climate Change Adaptation within the Ministry.

The event concluded with a joint message on the importance of multilateral cooperation and partnership between Croatia and Brazil ahead of COP30. Participants agreed that the upcoming conference must mark the transition from promises to concrete results, with the involvement of the private sector, youth, and academia in the design and implementation of climate policies.
COP30 will be held from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, a city at the entrance to the Amazon rainforest, and will mark the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and with this event, IICA gave strong support to all colleagues in Brazil, the Brazilian COP30 Presidency as well as the UNFCCC, wishing them a successful COP.

IICA PRE-COP event speakers together with event guests and the IICA team