COP 30 Ends

COP30 that was held  in the rainforest in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025, closed declaring that it achieved agreements on tripling adaptation finance and launched initiatives to protect forests and scale up climate finance. However, it failed to adopt a formal roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, leading to disappointment among many nations and civil society groups. The United States did not send an official delegation though California Governor Galvin Newsome made an appearance.

What was decided:

• Finance at scale: Mobilise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for climate action.
• Adaptation boost: Double adaptation finance by 2025 and triple by 2035.
• New initiatives: Launch of the Global Implementation Accelerator and Belém Mission to 1.5°C to drive ambition and implementation.
• Climate disinformation: Commitment to promote information integrity and counter false narratives.

COPs continue to operate around consensus. Many compromises are made, but just one country can veto a proposal. At the conference Brazilian scientist Carlos Nobre issued a stark warning: fossil fuel use must fall to zero by 2040 – 2045 at the latest to avoid temperature rises of up to 2.5°C by mid-century. That trajectory, he said, would spell the near-total loss of coral reefs, the collapse of the Amazon rainforest and an accelerated melt of the Greenland ice sheet.

The world is in a critical state is supported by scientific data released at the conference: 

• CO2 emissions are projected to reach a new record high in 2025 (38.1 billion tonnes), an increase of 1.1% over 2024 levels.
• 1.5°C Goal is beyond reach: The remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C is "virtually exhausted" and expected to be gone before 2030 at the current emission rate which is still rising. Keeping warming below 1.5°C is "no longer plausible".
• Warming and Water Stress: Global temperatures will continue to rise with 2024 likely the first year to temporarily exceed the 1.5°C threshold. The accompanying impacts, including droughts and water stress, are intensifying. 

Expectations were high that COP30's final decision would include explicit reference to phasing out fossil fuels. More than 80 countries backed Brazil’s proposal for a formal ‘roadmap.’ However, more nations did not.

The Tropical Forests Forever Facility was launched. The goal is to raise $125 billion to pay countries to conserve forests. There were  $5.5 billion in initial pledges. Brazil also committed to creating new Indigenous territories.

• Methane Reductions: Seven countries (including the UK, Canada, and Germany) signed a separate statement to achieve "near zero" methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector.
• Renewable Energy: Public utility companies in various countries pledged nearly $150 billion for new grids and energy storage to accelerate the global clean energy transition. 

COP30 fell short of the decisive action on fossil fuels that many scientists say is necessary to "correct course" and keep the 1.5°C limit within reach.