After decades of commitments and annual summits of Kyoto has Sharm el-SheikhThe planet continues to warm, and the pressure on governments and big businesses to act – not just talk – has never been greater.
Holding COP30 in Belém, on the edge of the largest tropical rainforest in the world, highlights the issue: the Amazon region is both a vital carbon sink and a front line in the fight against deforestation and climate change.
So this year’s meeting aims to shift gears. Delegates will review national climate plans, push for $1.3 trillion a year in climate finance, adopt new measures to help countries adapt and advance a “just transition” to cleaner economies.
“It’s time to implement”
COP30 was presented as a turning point – a moment of truth and a test of global solidarity. The summit opens Monday in Belém in a gloomy context: scientists say that the planet is on the verge of temporarily exceeding the 1.5°C warming limit set by the Paris Agreement.
This overshoot could still be short-lived, experts warn, but only if countries act quickly to step up their efforts to reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts and mobilize financing.
Speaking at the UN Leaders’ Summit Secretary-General António Guterres was direct: “It is no longer time for negotiations. It is time for implementation, implementation and implementation.”
Under the Brazilian presidency, COP30 will be structured around an action program of 30 key objectives, each led by an “activation group” responsible for developing solutions.
This effort has been described as mutirão – an indigenous word meaning “collective task” – reflecting Brazil’s desire to highlight indigenous leadership and participation in the conference and the global fight against climate change.
The government says it wants all sectors – from indigenous communities to business leaders – to help deliver on past climate promises.
Finance the transition
COP action programs are based on voluntary commitments rather than binding laws. But the scale of change needed is enormous: at least $1.3 trillion in climate investments every year by 2035.
Without urgent action, scientists warn that global temperatures could rise between 2.3°C and 2.8°C by the end of the century, leaving vast regions uninhabitable due to flooding, extreme heat and ecosystem collapse.
At the heart of the discussions in Belém will be the Report on the $1.3 trillion Baku-Belém roadmapprepared by the COP29 and COP30 presidencies. It sets out five priorities for mobilizing resources, including strengthening six multilateral climate funds, strengthening cooperation on taxing polluting activities and converting sovereign debt into climate investment – a measure that could unlock up to $100 billion for developing countries.
The report also calls for dismantling barriers such as clauses in investment treaties that allow companies to sue governments over their climate policies. These disputes have already cost governments $83 billion in 349 cases.
© UNFCCC/Diego Herculano
Delegates gather for the Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil.
What else is on the COP30 agenda?
Another key objective in Belém is the latest round of nationally determined contributions (CDN) – national climate plans which specify how countries intend to reduce their emissions. To keep warming below 1.5°C, global emissions must fall by 60% by 2030. Current NDCs would only provide a 10 percent off.
Of the 196 Parties to Paris Agreementonly 64 had submitted updated CDNs by the end of September. During preparatory negotiations in Germany in June, many countries warned that this ambition gap must be closed at COP30.
Delegates are also expected to approve 100 global indicators to track progress on climate adaptation, making results measurable and comparable across countries.
Today, 172 countries have at least one adaptation policy or plan, although 36 of them are obsolete. The new indicators should help shape more transparent and effective policies.
As the planet warms faster than ever, adaptation is now a central pillar of climate action. But the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) warns that adaptation finance must multiply by twelve by 2035 to meet the needs of developing countries.
COP30 will also advance the work program for a just transition, aimed at ensuring that climate measures do not worsen inequalities. Civil society groups are calling for a “Belém Action Mechanism” to coordinate just transition efforts and expand access to technology and financing for the most vulnerable nations.
Why COPs are important
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – known simply as the COP – remains the leading global forum for tackling the climate crisis. Decisions are made by consensus, which stimulates cooperation on mitigation, adaptation and financing.
Over the years, the COPs have reached historic agreements. In 2015, the Paris Agreement set a goal of keeping global temperature rise “well below 2°C” while striving to reach 1.5°C.
HAS COP28 In Dubai, countries agreed to abandon fossil fuels “in a fair, orderly and equitable manner” and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Last year in Baku, COP29 increased the annual climate finance target for developing countries from $100 billion to $300 billion, with a roadmap to reach $1.3 trillion.
Overall, the legal framework built over three decades under the UNFCCC has helped avoid a predicted temperature increase of 4°C by the end of this century.
COP30 opens on Monday November 10 and will continue until Friday November 21.
