Dear EarthTalk:

What happened at the most recent climate summit (COP30)?

P.F., via email

In November 2025, the 30th annual Conference of Parties —the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—was held in Brazil. It has been 10 years since the Paris Agreement was signed by 194 countries. It had hoped to limit global warming to well below two degrees Celsius. But current emission reductions fell alarmingly short of this goal; research showed that an over 43 percent reduction was needed by 2030.

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International negotiators dubbed COP30 “COP of implementation,” with the goal to accelerate climate action and implement programs instead of making promises. One of the major successes of the 2025 meeting was the “Belém Package.” Adopted by nearly all parties, it includes agreements that aim to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and help vulnerable third world countries cope with climate impacts. Despite this, the nearly 150-page document has no legally binding commitments.

With the U.S. absent for the first time at this year’s talks, China stepped up as a leader in clean tech, facilitating discussion on trade. For the first time, negotiators from several nations agreed to analyze how trade policies can affect climate action, as well as how to generate investment in green energy.

Fossil fuels are the main driver of global warming, however, the hosts of COP30 initially refrained from writing this topic onto the official agenda. Irene Vélez Torres, Minister in Charge of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, said, “We must leave this COP with a global roadmap that guides us, not symbolically, but concretely...to phase out fossil fuels.” Many expressed disappointment that by the end of the conference, little planning took place for both fossil fuels and deforestation, which was a priority for Brazil. During the conference, indigenous and activist groups stormed the venue and blocked entrances to demand protection of indigenous territories. This year saw record high participation from these groups, especially in favor of more ambitious agreements around fossil fuels.

The next COP meeting will be held in Turkey in 2026. Its focus will likely be how to mitigate the predicted overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius in global temperatures. Additionally, 24 countries formed a coalition to transition away from fossil fuels, planning a conference in Colombia later in 2026 to create a real roadmap for a just energy transition.

CONTACTS

• COP30 closes with agreement to step up support for developing countries, un.org/en/climatechange/cop30
• COP30: Outcomes, Disappointments and What's Next, wri.org/insights/cop30-outcomes-next-steps.

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