The UN Climate Change Conference, COP30, will be held in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. The city’s candidacy was announced by Brazilian president Luiz Lula da Silva during his visit to the COP 27, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Brazil, the COP30 presidency, intends to launch the Tropical Forest Forever Facility as a signature achievement in Belém. The main objective will be $125 billion blended-finance investment fund from sovereign funders by COP30 to begin payouts to reward forest conservation, biodiversity protection and the participation of indigenous peoples into global climate policy in tropical countries in 2026.
Meanwhile, the United States, under President Donald Trump, have closed their office of climate diplomacy. The United States participated in climate talks under the skeptic George W. Bush- often with a goal of watering down agreements- and fossil fuel producers such as Saudi Arabia remain part of the process despite frequent disagreements.
Despite nearly three decades of UN climate conferences, emissions continue to rise, highlighting the inefficiency and undemocratic nature of the current system. To address this, experts propose redesigning decision-making processes, simplifying climate finance and reinventing the COP format to foster more effective global climate governance.
The global system for tackling climate change is broken- it’s slow, cumbersome and undemocratic. Even Donald Trump may not be totally wrong when he blames the UN for producing ‘empty words and then never following those words up’. If we assess the progress since the first UN COP climate summit in 1995, much are not implemented and now, we suggest:
First, we need to gradually redesign the decision-making process to solve a deficit of both efficiency and democracy. Decisions today are slow and weak because they de facto seek unanimity.
One idea would be to leverage the relative concentration of the world economy. Reducing the number of parties could be good to avoid a situation like the UN’s security council where vetoes of just five parties is enough for paralysis.
Second, it is necessary to streamline the chaotic array of climate-related financial instruments. One possibility would be to merge many small funds into three to four bigger instruments like fund for adaptation, mitigation, financing for research and development and technology sharing and for encouraging, assessing and scaling up experiments.
Third, we absolutely need to change the format of COP itself. The travel expenses and accommodating 100,000 delegates at COP29, Baku was probably higher than the total amount promised at that same COP to compensate poorer countries for climate-related losses. This results, the climate agenda has lost its popular support.
The planet has already heated up at least 1.36°C above pre-industrial times, according to the EU’s climate monitor Copernicus. Scientists warn that 1.5°C warming is enough for major damage to the planet, including rising disasters and the disappearance of most of coral reefs.
The Conference of Parties with 198 parties including European Union are to assess progress in dealing with climate change, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol (COP3, 1997) in order to establish legally binding obligations for the developed countries to reduce their GHG emission. COP30 is also to reaffirm the Paris Agreement (COP21, 2015) as part of the Durban platform (COP17, 2011), which created a general path towards climate action.
Brazil’s Presidency has called it a “COP of Action,” moving from promises to performance and focusing on promoting ‘peace’ and ‘truce’ to allow countries to concentrate on climate solution amid worlds ongoing conflicts.
Major expected outcomes from the COP30, include a strong focus on action over new pledges of significant finance and transition goals; climate justice and nature-based solutions and to mobilize at least $300 billion annually by 2035 for developing nations and another aspirational target of $1.3 trillion annually, combining public and private finance.
To create a more resilient and equitable world including strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions, NDC, financial commitments and adaptation planning, contribute to global climate action and the achievement of the SDGs is another objective.
Climate change is expected to worsen the frequency, intensity and impacts of extreme events in the coming years. If we are to cap the planet from warming up not more than 1.5°C of the pre-industrial state, we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43% by 2030. But under a very high emissions scenario, global warming could reach between 3.3°C to 5.7°C in 2100 moving into a dangerous way.
The COP30 and FAO have agreed to introduce an initiative, ‘Transformation of Agriculture and Food Systems and the Sustainable Management of Forests, Oceans and Biodiversity’. COP30 is the turning point to mainstream food systems into climate action.
In COP30, we want to see the world speed up the phasing out of coal, oil and gas, replacing them with clean and renewable energy. We want sustainable agriculture practices to stop deforestation and protect habitat and biodiversity. We also want funds redirected from fossil fuels subsidies to scaling-up renewable energy, creating green jobs for young people of under-developed countries and protecting nature. But, when come to action, it always seems on the paper only.
Climate crisis is a universal issue that requires an inclusive approach. The current global political divide is similar to the Cold War era, making it hard to agree on climate action. Every voice matter, every action is important. So, the whole world is looking at COP30- Belém, Brazil for a comprehensive early decision not in papers but in action for the planet and people.
(Dr. N. Munal Meitei),
Environmentalist, Presently, working as DFO/Chandel. email: nmunall@yahoo.in
