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Akriti Sharma
19 November 2025 |
What happened?
On 10 November, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) kicked off at Belem, Brazil.
On 11 November, at the opening plenary session of the COP30 at Belem, President of Brazil, Lula da Silva said: “We are moving in the right direction but at the wrong speed,” He added: “Crossing 1.5°C is a risk we cannot take,”; “climate change is not a threat to the future, it is a tragedy of the present.” Calling COP30, the COP of truth, he said: “now is the moment to defeat the denialists,” and “without the Paris Agreement the world would suffer from catastrophic warming.”
On 12 November, on the second day, hundreds of protestors belonging to indigenous communities marched in the venue breaching security barriers. The protestors held flags saying: “Our land is not for sale.”
What is the background?
First, the critical significance of COP at Belem. COP Belem comes at a point where the US has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, and the Trump administration, being the denial of climate change, has resorted to aggressive usage of fossil fuels while pressuring other countries to promote energy consumption through trade deals. As the climate negotiations return to Brazil after 33 years of the Rio Summit in 1992, COP30 is being called the COP of implementation, as it urges parties not to discuss ideas but focus on effective action and implementation. COP30, being held in a developing country, sets the tone for justice and equity through increased climate finance, not as charity but justice.
Second, the call to action and the agenda. In his speech, President Lula gave a call to action in three parts. First, he appealed to countries to abide by commitments and implement their NDCs, calling for more finance, capacity, and technology for developing countries. Second, he emphasized the need to overcome fossil fuel dependence and halt deforestation. Third, he urged the international community to keep people at the core of the climate agenda, as many have been disproportionately affected by its severe impacts despite contributing the least to it. He also stressed reducing asymmetries between the Global North and Global South. COP30 will focus on major agenda points, the new USD 1.3 trillion finance roadmap, and aligning financial flows. Adaptation and mitigation are also central, with negotiations on the Global Goal on Adaptation indicators, national action plans, and global stocktake follow-up. Additional flashpoints include loss and damage, carbon markets, the Just Transition Work Programme, and debates on unilateral trade measures and transparency reporting.
Third, COP30 is significant for the indigenous communities. President Lula highlighted the significance of COP being held at Belem in the Amazon region, the world’s largest river basin, home to indigenous communities, which have been frontline defenders of wildlife protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate-regulating ecosystems. Yet, they face displacement, deforestation, and climate impacts. This COP is politically significant as the world gathers in the Amazon region, indigenous knowledge and people are more visible and recognised.
What does it mean?
First, climate multilateralism is on the edge. The withdrawal of the world’s largest historical emitter, the US, from the Paris Agreement has severely undermined international cooperation. It’s climate denialism, and a renewed push towards fossil fuels sets a dangerous precedent, weakening climate action and the trust in the UNFCCC system. This has exposed the weakness of the current climate regime and the need to rethink climate multilateralism that is credible and equitable.
Second, missing targets and more action are needed. While it is clear that the world is on the verge of missing the 1.5 degrees Celsius target, there is an urgent need to accelerate climate action. Global climate cooperation has been accused of “not walking the talk”. Therefore, countries need to recalibrate their national priorities to include the climate agenda.
Third, justice and equity-driven climate action. Despite the need for more climate action, it is crucial to ensure that the countries that contributed the least to the current problem are not burdened with climate action. The developed and developing countries are gridlocked on various contentious issues, including finance. The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must guide climate action to ensure justice.
About the author
Akriti Sharma is a PhD Scholar at NIAS.
