The thirtieth United Nations Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (“COP30”) is scheduled to take place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. This event represents a key opportunity to renew and escalate ambitions in the field of climate action, especially after a series of setbacks in international progress.

COP30 is expected to bring together prominent heads of state and business leaders from nearly 198 signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change („UNFCCC“), as well as climate experts, NGOs and activists. The venue, Belém, is located in close proximity to the Amazon rainforest, which naturally focuses discussions on forests, biodiversity and the natural world.

At risk: The Paris Agreement and unfulfilled commitments

COP30 is taking place in a context where current efforts to meet global warming targets are at risk. UN Secretary-General António Guterres even declared in October 2025 that attempts to limit global warming to 1.5°C have failed.

The foundation of the global effort is the Paris Agreement, agreed at COP21 in 2015. This agreement sets out legally binding obligations for signatories to substantially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The main goal is to keep the increase in average global temperature below well below 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels, with efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

Countries that are signatories are required to prepare, communicate and maintain progressive Nationally Determined Contributions („NDCs“). NDCs are essentially national action plans to combat climate change. Despite the requirement to submit new NDCs by February 2025, the effort has failed. Only 13 countries have submitted new NDCs by that deadline, and only 62 have submitted them to date. Those NDCs that have been submitted (including Brazil’s) have often been criticized for being lack of ambition. International cooperation has also suffered, as the United States withdrew again from the Paris Agreement in January 2025 (which was due to take effect in 2026).

The COP process itself has also faced criticism, given the failure of Parties to deliver on their commitments and the broader backsliding on climate action. The COP30 Presidency acknowledged „the ongoing challenges to reform COP30“ and called on „all Parties to consider the future of the process itself.“.

Belém Agenda: Transformation and Implementation

The central challenge for COP30 is to ensure continued delivery of climate goals and revitalize the COP process. Brazil outlined an action program based on six key themes:

1. Transformation of energy, industry and transport.
2. Forest, ocean and biodiversity management.
3. Transforming agricultural and food systems.
4. Increasing the resilience of cities, infrastructure and water management.
5. Supporting human and social development.
6. Unleashing enabling and accelerating factors, including finance, technology and capacity.

The Brazilian Presidency has repeatedly stressed the importance of moving "„from an era focused on negotiations to an era focused on implementation“". The central focus of the negotiations will therefore be on how to effectively implement existing initiatives and ensure that new NDCs are sufficiently ambitious.

In addition, the Presidency called on the international community to join the global "„mutiny“". This concept, taken from the Brazilian indigenous people, denotes a community that unites in a common task. The call for a "global effort of cooperation among nations for the advancement of humanity" includes not only the formal parties to the UNFCCC, but also civil society, the private sector and individuals.

Financial challenges and carbon markets

Financing remains a key point of tension. Although a New Collective Quantified Target („NCQG“) was agreed at COP29 – at least $300 billion per year by 2035 for developing countries – this target has been criticized as not being ambitious enough to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Despite the criticism, current financial commitments need to be updated to also achieve this target.

To support increased financing, the „Baku-Belém Roadmap“ was presented at COP29, which aims to mobilize 1.3 trillion US dollars per year by 2035 for developing countries' climate action.

Regarding the natural world, Brazil plans to launch a Tropical Forests Forever Fund, a multilateral fund aimed at providing funding to countries that commit to protecting tropical forests.

The Brazilian Ministry of Finance has also developed a proposal to create Open Coalition for Carbon Market Integration, which aims to harmonise standards and link existing carbon markets. This initiative would be voluntary and would allow the sharing of best practices and decarbonisation technologies.

Leadership example: United Kingdom

The United Kingdom (UK) has shown ambitious steps in its preparations for COP30. At COP29, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK’s new NDC target: to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 at least 81 % compared to 1990 levels.

This net zero emissions target is described as one of the most ambitious nationally set targets and is considered „achievable, provided the government stays on course“. The UK stressed that „British leadership is essential“.

The UK has also been closely involved in the preparations for the conference and in August 2024, in collaboration with the Brazilian government, published a joint statement of cooperation. This statement covered a partnership for green and inclusive growth, the intention to lead by example in its NDCs, the adoption of measures on forest protection and the energy transition away from fossil fuels, implementation and financing. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently confirmed that he would travel to Belém for COP30.

COP30 will mark the halfway point of humanity’s critical decade in the fight against climate change. The conference will focus on ensuring implementation and renewed multilateralism. As the COP30 Presidency has stated, now is the time for the international community to leave behind inertia, individualism and irresponsibility. COP30 is intended to be a pivotal moment for global cooperation at a time when global action is failing and the COP system itself is facing criticism for inaction. To restore trust and progress, the call is: „"Pull the levers together. Let's move the world."“. JRi