This November, five young leaders from the Planeteer Alliance traveled to Belém, Pará, Brazil, for the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP30)—one of the world’s most influential spaces for climate policy and negotiation. Amid heads of state, diplomats, scientists, and civil society organizations, they carried the perspectives of youth across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Representing Captain Planet Foundation were Becca Bullen (Planeteer Alliance Program Manager), Natalia Moragrega (Regional Coordinator, Mexico), and Planeteers Dejea Lyons (Cayman Islands), Mafer Lara Buenaventura (La Paz, Mexico), Maria Victória (Fortaleza, Brazil), and Marcos Pessoa (Planeteer Alliance Representative, Fortaleza, Brazil). Together, they witnessed the urgency, complexity, and collaboration that define the current climate movement.
session at COP30
Throughout COP30, Planeteers attended high-impact panels and side events on global climate challenges. They used these spaces to share the Planeteer Alliance’s mission, strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, and amplify youth perspectives.
For Natalia, hearing directly from Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon was a powerful moment of connection that resonated with her work in Mexico.
“It bridged continents and showed how our histories mirror each other,” said Natalia. “In their words, I heard echoes of Mexican communities who say, ‘Somos hijos de la tierra, no sus dueños’—we are children of the land, not its owners.”
For Natalia, this impactful panel aligned with her mission to uplift Indigenous voices and integrate Indigenous knowledge into climate action.
For Mafer, the most meaningful part of COP wasn’t a single speech, but the relationships formed. A conversation with Patricia Suárez, an advocate for Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon, helped her recognize shared struggles across Latin America—including in Mexico, where extractive projects threaten both ecosystems and culture.
“Understanding their struggle helped me better understand my own Mexican brothers and sisters,” said Mafer.
She also left with a clearer sense of how slow, complex, and collaborative climate negotiations truly are—far from the idea that change happens immediately once demands are voiced.
On December 11, 2025, the Planeteer Alliance hosted a virtual debrief of the conference, where all six representatives shared their biggest lessons and takeaways from their COP30 experience.
As a Planeteer from the Cayman Islands, Dejea Lyons saw how framing climate mobility as a “solution” is unjust. People have the right to remain in their homes, she emphasized, and climate action must prioritize strengthening infrastructure and resilience—not relocating communities forced to endure worsening natural disasters.
While at COP30, Dejea created the “Power of 5 Campaign”– highlighting how youth leaders from the Caribbean and Latin America are driving climate solutions in-line with the Captain Planet ELEMENTS: WIND, FIRE, WATER, EARTH, AND HEART.
The final video in the “Power of 5 Campaign” centered around HEART– inviting Planeteers from around the world to share how empathy, justice, and courage are integral to their work as young climate leaders.
16-year-old Planeteer Maria Victória Pessoa, from Fortaleza, Brazil, described how impactful it was to share her projects with other young change-makers from around the world.
“It really impacted me the way they talked about their projects, the way they expressed themselves,” explained Maria Victória. “I found it interesting that other people find ways to help the planet in any way they can– that’s within their reach.”
A shared theme across the call was the importance of representation. Several delegates noted that their home countries lacked a pavilion, delegation office, or any visible presence at COP—underscoring the necessity of spaces where communities can voice their climate concerns and realities.
The atmosphere at COP30 left a strong impression: urgent, emotional, sometimes overwhelming, yet also filled with hope and determination. From powerful acts of protest and artivism, to side events on public policy and ancestral knowledge, this group of Planeteers returned with a deeper understanding that climate justice is relational and borderless—requiring youth leadership, political will, and collective commitment.
Change depends on young people continuing to show up, not only on the global stage but within their own communities.
“The biggest lie we can tell ourselves is that it is not worth showing up, it is not worth fighting,” remarked Planeteer Alliance Manager Becca Bullen at the COP30 Recap virtual event.
“We have only lost when we have stopped showing up and fighting for the things we believe in.”
Click on the following link to view a recording of the COP30 Virtual Event with Planeteer Alliance.
Click on the following link to view COP30 social media content on Instagram!