Operational Note: Brazilian Mothers Bring Heart and Urgency to COP30

Press conference: Tuesday 11 November – Protect What We Love – Putting children at the heart of COP 30 – 2:30 pm to 3pm at Press Conference 2 Area D 

A delegation of Brazilian mothers is heading to COP30 to make sure families and children are put at the heart of the climate talks taking place in Belém, Brazil from 10 November 2025.

Brought together by Our Kids’ Climate, a global network of parents from more than 50 countries, the delegation says the climate crisis is making it increasingly difficult for families to keep their children safe and healthy. 

They argue that world leaders have a responsibility to protect children and communities from worsening floods, heatwaves, and wildfires – and are calling for a rapid, fair, and funded transition away from fossil fuels, which are harming children’s health and jeopardizing their futures. 

The delegation includes: 

• Catarina Nefertari, a mother from Belém, who is determined to make sure local voices from Belém and the Amazon are heard at this global moment. Ahead of COP, she launched a family-focused mobilization campaign “Clean Air to Breathe, Clean Rivers to Play” in Belém, focused on the links between air quality and forest protection.
• Mariana Menezes, a mother from Rio Grande do Sul, who was caught up in the devastating floods in that region in May 2024. She is also the co-founder of Famílias pelo Clima/Parents for Future Brazil, a parents’ group inspired by Fridays For Future. 
• Clarissa Canova, a mother from São Paulo and the leader of Mães pelo Clima (Mothers for Climate), which brings together Brazilian mothers concerned about the climate crisis. She is the author of a new children’s book, “The Air We Breathe”,  about air pollution and climate change.  

Mariana Menezes, co-founder of Famílias pelo Clima/Parents for Future Brazil, says: “My children, just entering adolescence, have already experienced a devastating flood that left us stranded for days and away from home for months. How many other climate tragedies will they have to face throughout their lives? While we should be preparing for this, we see world leaders denying reality and making plans to expand fossil fuels. These people, who once enjoyed full lives with unforgettable summers and long walks outdoors in their youth, are condemning future generations to lives of pollution and disasters.”

Other members of the delegation are Daniela Vianna and Samantha Graiki Proença both São Paulo-based parents from Famílias pelo Clima/Parents for Future Brazil. They are organizing a creative exhibition – ”My Family is at COP” – featuring images from families and children from around the world.   

The delegation is being coordinated by Maya Mailer and Juliana Russar of Our Kids’ Climate.  

Maya Mailer, co-director of Our Kids’ Climate said: “Our children’s health is under threat. The burning of fossil fuels is poisoning the air our kids breathe and endangering their present and future by overheating our planet. With love and determination, parents are taking action to create a healthier, brighter world, from restoring nature to establishing pollution free zones around schools and making the case for renewable energy. At COP30, we are calling on world leaders to work with us and protect what we love: our children, our families, and communities.” 

Notes to editors 

1. A highlight of the delegation schedule is:  Tuesday 11 November –  Press conference: Protect What We Love – Putting children at the heart of COP 30.  This will bring the mothers together with children to make an intergenerational plea for climate action. It takes place between 2:30 pm to 3pm at Press Conference 2 Area D with Alana Institute, a global children’s rights NGO based in Brazil.
2. Full bios and more quotes from the mothers can be found here.  Our full schedule can be found here.
3. The delegation will be distributing this heartfelt plea to delegates at COP.
4. All members of the Mothers’ delegation are available for pre-COP and on-site interviews in Belém. They can be interviewed in English and Portuguese.  Contact Rebecca Wynn (rebecca@ourkidsclimate.org / + 44 7779 618197) or Juliana Russar ( +55 11 999 34 4949) and Maya Mailer ( + 44 7531 644 220) in Belém to arrange interviews.