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Representatives from nearly every nation have gathered in Belém, in the heart of Brazil's Amazon region, for COP30, which runs from 10 to 21 November 2025. Heads of state, business leaders, scientists and civil society organisations are among key stakeholders meeting at the annual UN climate summit, with this year's conference widely regarded as one of the most decisive moments in global efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
What is COP and why does it matter?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), established in 1992 to coordinate global efforts to tackle climate change. Since the first COP in 1995, these annual summits have produced landmark agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, committed nations to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C and ideally to 1.5°C above pre industrial levels. To achieve this, countries submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlining their climate targets and actions, which must be updated every five years.
The first Global Stocktake (GST), a comprehensive review of progress under the Paris Agreement, was concluded at COP28 in Dubai. The findings were stark, revealing that current efforts fall far short and that the world is on track for roughly 2.3°C to 2.5°C of warming. The GST renewed calls for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. COP29 in Baku responded by agreeing a new climate finance goal, aiming to scale annual flows to hundreds of billions by 2035.
COP30 in Belém is critical because it is the moment when ambition must translate into delivery. Updated NDCs are due in 2025, and they must reflect the GST's call for urgent action. Science shows that global emissions need to fall by 43% from 2019 levels by 2030 to keep the 1.5°C target within reach.
What's on the table?
Negotiations in Belém are expected to again be complex and politically sensitive. Developed countries face pressure to scale up climate finance and support adaptation, while emerging economies seek flexibility to pursue growth. Fossil fuel producing nations will debate timelines for phasing down oil, gas, and coal, and vulnerable nations will demand stronger commitments on loss and damage. Balancing these priorities while maintaining trust and momentum is the challenge that defines COP30.
Energy transition will be at the forefront, with calls to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. The International Energy Agency's (IEA) World Energy Outlook 2025, released just ahead of COP30, underscores that while clean energy deployment is accelerating in some regions, global emissions remain at record highs, and the world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target. The IEA's scenarios show that, without much stronger policy action, the world is heading for a temperature rise of 2.5°C to 3°C by 2100, making the decisions at COP30 more urgent than ever. Adaptation is another priority, as the UAE-Belém Work Programme aims to operationalise the Global Goal on Adaptation with measurable indicators. Finance remains a major hurdle, with the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap seeking to scale climate finance from around USD 300 billion to USD 1.3 trillion annually. Nature and biodiversity will also feature prominently, with commitments expected to halt deforestation, promote regenerative agriculture and strengthen Indigenous land rights.
Underpinning all of these themes is the need for accountability, with credible governance and transparency mechanisms to ensure promises translate into real action.
What this means for you
For businesses, COP30 is a reminder of rising expectations on climate disclosure, supply chain resilience and nature-positive strategies. This is an opportunity to review transition plans, strengthen adaptation investments and integrate climate and nature into core business models. Companies that lead on sustainability will not only manage risk but also gain competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving regulatory and market landscape.
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