ACI update from Day 2 of COP30 in Brazil

11/12/2025

ACI Past President Antonio Nanni is at COP30 Brazil this week, representing ACI to reaffirm our leadership in the world of concrete and to make sure our commitment to our strategic goal of advancing resiliency and sustainability in the construction industry is communicated. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the largest global United Nations event for discussions and negotiations on climate change. The meeting is held annually, with the presidency rotating among the five UN-recognized regions.

Dr. Nanni is providing a daily report from the event floor. Watch his latest video from Belém.

Day 2 at COP30 was even more dynamic than the first. It is difficult to estimate the number of people who filled the convention center, a former airplane hangar that has been remodeled for this event.

The day began with a plenary session dedicated to the Amazon, one of the conference's central themes for the year. The preservation of this ecosystem carries both local and global significance.

Later, I attended an insightful panel titled “Empowering Coastal Communities: Science-Based Solutions for Resilience and Adaptation,” organized by CoastPredict, the Decade Collaborative Centre for Coastal Resilience (DCC-CR), and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC Foundation). The session carried special relevance for the Caribbean, where the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa remains fresh in memory. Discussions highlighted progress in multi-hazard early warning systems and adaptation planning, addressing the combined impacts of climatic and anthropogenic threats.

Throughout the day, I had the privilege of speaking with two distinguished leaders whose organizations intersect closely with the mission of ACI.

· Judy Zakreski, Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Solutions at the International Code Council (ICC), discussed the expanding global role of codes and standards in enabling safe, sustainable innovation.

· Paul Adeleke, Director of Strategy, Policy, and Communication at the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), shared insights on industry collaboration and the pathways being developed to accelerate decarbonization across the built environment.

Both conversations reinforced the theme that the path to meaningful climate progress runs through cooperation between organizations, sectors, and nations.

– Antonio Nanni