Made in Pará, Returned to Pará: Hydro’s Peace Bench Becomes Lasting Symbol of Climate Cooperation at COP30

Ceremony for the unveiling of the Peach Bench was attended by Director of the Nobel Peace Center Kjersti Fløgstad, the State Governor of Pará Helder Barbalho, the first lady of Pará Daniela Barbalho, the State Vice Governor of Pará Hana Ghassan, the State Secretary of Culture Ursula Vidal, and other local authorities and Executive Vice President of Bauxite & Alumina in Hydro, John Thuestad, and Senior Vice President Government Affairs in Hydro, Anderson Baranov.

(IN BRIEF) Hydro and the Nobel Peace Center unveiled the Peace Bench at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, highlighting the importance of dialogue in addressing climate challenges. Made with aluminium sourced from Hydro’s operations in Pará and designed by Snøhetta, the six-metre bench represents cooperation, sustainability, and peace. The installation, now a gift to the State of Pará, will remain in the city as a public monument following COP30. Hydro’s participation reaffirms its two-decade collaboration with the Nobel Peace Center and its commitment to responsible aluminium production and climate action in the Amazon region.

(PRESS RELEASE) OSLO, 11-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Made with responsibly sourced aluminium from Hydro, the Peace Bench has been unveiled at COP30’s Green Zone in Belém, Brazil, as a lasting symbol of dialogue, cooperation, and climate solidarity. Commissioned and owned by the Nobel Peace Center, the bench serves as a tribute to the role of conversation in achieving global progress. Designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and built by sustainable furniture maker Vestre, the six-metre semi-circular bench physically embodies connection—its lowered centre gently draws people toward one another, encouraging open discussion. Inspired by Nelson Mandela’s words, “The best weapon is to sit down and talk,” the design underscores that collaboration remains humanity’s most powerful tool against crisis.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by local leaders, including Pará’s Governor Helder Barbalho, First Lady Daniela Barbalho, Vice Governor Hana Ghassan, and State Secretary of Culture Ursula Vidal, alongside the Nobel Peace Center’s Director Kjersti Fløgstad and Hydro executives John Thuestad and Anderson Baranov. The aluminium used in the Peace Bench holds deep significance: sourced from Hydro’s operations in Pará—beginning with bauxite extraction in Paragominas, refined at Alunorte in Barcarena, and processed at smelters in Norway and beyond—the material now returns home as a symbol of dialogue and sustainability.

John Thuestad, Executive Vice President for Bauxite & Alumina, and Kjersti Fløgstad, Director of the Nobel Peace Center, at the unveiling of the Peach Bench during COP30. (Photo: Halvor Molland)

“For over two decades, Hydro has partnered with the Nobel Peace Center on initiatives that link peace, progress, and sustainability,” said John Thuestad, Hydro’s Executive Vice President for Bauxite & Alumina. “By contributing to the Peace Bench, we not only reaffirm our commitment to social and environmental responsibility but also celebrate Pará’s role in shaping global conversations around the green transition.”

The Peace Bench will remain in Belém after COP30 as a permanent installation in the new city park being created from the Green Zone area, offering a public space that commemorates the spirit of collaboration fostered during the conference. Originally introduced at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2019, and later at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, the Peace Bench’s placement in Belém brings its message full circle—back to the Amazon, where climate dialogue is vital to the planet’s future.

Media Contact:

Anders Vindegg
Head of Media Relations, Group Communication
anders.vindegg@hydro.com
+47 93864271

SOURCE: Norsk Hydro ASA