From June 16 to 20, 2025, I took part in the SB62 in Bonn, Germany — one of the intermediary negotiation sessions under the UNFCCC, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It’s one of the key moments leading up to COP30, which will be held in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil.
I attended as an independent observer with Atlas Movement, the global political movement created to tackle the existential crises of our time — starting with the climate emergency — through ambitious, concrete proposals based on social and intergenerational justice.
Let me introduce myself: I’m Francesco Pacella, engineer and manager. I'm building Atlas as a national party in Italy starting August 2024, together with many highly talented and motivated people. I truly encourage you to check out our Survival Bill, our political manifesto for human survival — here’s the link.
🧭 At SB62, we brought Atlas’ vision
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A global carbon tax to fund a just transition
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A fully operational Loss and Damage Fund for the most vulnerable communities
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A moratorium on new fossil fuel projects
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Protected areas for nature, on land and at sea
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Democratization of global governance, starting with the UN system
Here's a summary of the three main days I attended — and I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions. At the end, I share a personal reflection on what this experience meant to me.
🗓️ Day 1 – First Impressions: Between Emotion and Orientation
The first day was intense. People from every corner of the planet: state delegates, NGOs, UN agencies, and Indigenous leaders. A vibrant and stimulating atmosphere inside the World Conference Center in Bonn.
I attended a youth orientation session, useful to understand the structure and language of UN negotiations. Then I followed an update on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, regarding carbon markets.
I also connected with those who could become key allies for Atlas, including Italian Climate Network and Stop Ecocide, focused respectively on climate education and environmental law.
🗓️ Day 2 – Climate Justice, AI and Oceans
A full day, where I attended thematic sessions closely aligned with Atlas’ mission:
Forging Synergies for People and Planet – A discussion on synergies between local communities, the scientific world, and public institutions. Four new reports focused on cities, biodiversity, insurance finance, and new tools for a just transition. I raised critical questions on the effectiveness of climate risk insurance — the answers were interesting but vague, reflecting how complex the finance-climate justice link really is.
The Role of AI in Multilateral Climate Processes – A packed session on the role of AI in managing the complexity of negotiations. I was struck by Maya Ben Dror’s demo of a multilingual AI assistant for climate diplomacy — a chatbot and phonebot designed to support decision-makers.
Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue 2025 – An in-depth discussion on the ocean’s role in climate adaptation. Focused on Blue Skills (marine knowledge), blue bonds (debt instruments to protect marine ecosystems), and the need for shared metrics to track ocean health. Vulnerable countries gave powerful contributions, demanding stronger action to protect ecosystems and coastal communities.
Connected Advocacy & World Green Skills Collaborative – A session on empowering marginalized communities and youth through local investment, education, and civic participation. A key priority for Atlas: ensuring climate action is truly inclusive.
🗓️ Day 3 – Emerging Tech and Sustainable Food Systems
Climate Chain Coalition: Empowering Local Climate Action – A session on the connection between local action and technological innovation, including blockchain and innovative climate finance. I appreciated Prof. Bjorn-Soren Gigler (GIZ), who emphasized data asymmetry in AI: too many blind spots in underserved regions, risking reinforced bias. I took this as a clear call to action — we need to bring more data and voices from rural and peripheral areas often left out of national and global conversations - easy to think of Southern Italy, given my background.
ProVeg – COP30 Belém Declaration on Plant-Rich Diets – A focused session on plant-based diets and food systems sustainability — a key topic for Atlas. There I met with Julian Brasil Gerth, our Atlas delegate for the second week of the SB62, who is ALSO championing the Plant-Based Treaty and building bridges between grassroots movements and official delegations.
Presidency-led Consultation: Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T – A crucial plenary on the $1.3 trillion roadmap for climate finance, marking the transition from COP29 to COP30. Key topics included transparency in governance, inclusion of developing countries, and robust monitoring mechanisms.
✍️ Final Thoughts
Participating in SB62 was both a privilege and a responsibility. I witnessed first-hand the power — and limitations — of multilateral climate diplomacy. I met incredible people and projects, asked uncomfortable questions, and helped build bridges between the global and the local.
With Atlas, we will continue to push for radical but necessary ideas — from a global carbon tax, to democratic global governance, to ethical and equitable AI (by the way, did you know we just adopted a new AI policy calling for global regulation?).
This is not just a technical challenge — it’s a political and moral fight for justice and survival.
Now, I pass the baton to our Julian Brasil Gerth (Atlas Germany) and Ambassador Julius Kitone (Atlas Uganda), who will continue representing Atlas at SB62 until the end.