The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), held in Belém, Brazil, concluded with mixed results, reflecting both advances in climate cooperation and persistent global challenges. Taking place a decade after the Paris Agreement, the summit brought together over 56,000 participants, including world leaders, scientists, private-sector representatives, Indigenous groups, and civil society members. Despite geopolitical tensions, multilateral dialogue continued, with several voluntary initiatives gaining momentum.
One of the key outcomes was an agreement to triple adaptation finance, raising the annual target to $120 billion as part of a broader $300 billion climate funding goal established at COP29. While this marks a political commitment, it lacks a baseline and falls short of the needs of developing nations. Delegates also adopted 59 indicators for a global adaptation goal, though compromises may hinder their practical application.
A new mechanism, the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), was launched to support a just transition, emphasizing labor rights, environmental protection, and knowledge sharing. This framework includes unprecedented recognition of socioeconomic equity in climate policy. Additionally, trade entered formal negotiations for the first time, with discussions on measures like the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), signaling growing integration of climate and trade policy.
Nature-based solutions gained traction. The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was introduced, backed by 34 tropical forest nations, with Germany pledging $1.16 billion. Other countries, including Norway, Brazil, and France, committed future support. The Tropical Forest Alliance also launched the CCAT fund with $50 million to help Brazilian farmers adopt sustainable practices and reduce deforestation.
The Climate Action Agenda, a platform for non-state actors, was elevated in importance. Over 480 initiatives were activated across sectors such as energy, food systems, cities, and biodiversity, demonstrating real-world progress beyond formal negotiations. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized its critical role: “It is mission-critical and a key part of the Paris Agreement.”
Indigenous representation reached a record high, with around 3,000 participants from traditional communities. Brazil announced the creation of 10 new Indigenous territories, one covering over 78% of the Amazon National Park, reinforcing the role of local stewardship in conservation.
However, major gaps remain. No binding agreement was reached on phasing out fossil fuels, despite support from over 80 countries. Similarly, no formal deforestation roadmap was adopted, though Brazil pledged to develop a voluntary version for COP31. Only 121 nations submitted updated climate pledges (NDCs), leaving 76—accounting for 26% of global emissions—without new targets. For the first time, parties acknowledged the likelihood of exceeding 1.5°C warming this century.
Carbon markets saw limited progress. While COP29 prioritized Article 6, COP30 made only incremental advances. Outside formal talks, Brazil launched the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets with 17 countries and the EU to standardize credit trading and improve market transparency.
Looking ahead, COP31 will be co-hosted by Australia and Turkey in Antalya in 2026. The World Economic Forum will continue supporting climate action through initiatives like the First Movers Coalition, 1t.org (targeting 1 trillion trees by 2030), and partnerships to eliminate plastic pollution and scale circular economies.
As Stiell noted, “We are undeniably still in the fight.” While consensus-based negotiations face hurdles, a combination of formal agreements and voluntary action offers a path forward.
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What happened at COP30 – and what comes next?
Published Dec 2, 2025 · Updated Dec 2, 2025 n nCOP30 showed that despite an increasingly turbulent geopolitical landscape, multilateral climate cooperation continues. Image: Rafa Neddermeyer/COP30 Brasil Amazônia/PR n nPim Valdre n nHead of Climate & Nature Economy, Member of the Executive Committee , World Economic Forum n nCOP30 was held this year in Belém — a decade after the Paris agreement and against a turbulent geopolitical landscape. n nWhat did this year’s summit move forward? While it delivered a negotiated outcome and sustained global climate collaboration, it fell short of unlocking major progress. n nParties advanced on adaptation funding, indicators for a global goal on adaptation and a just transition, but no formal agreements were reached on fossil fuels and deforestation roadmaps. n nCOP30 saw a breakthrough for the Climate Action Agenda, which rose from the margins to the forefront, now recognized as essential for catalyzing solutions for real economy transformation. n nA decade after the Paris Agreement, and with scientists sounding climate-tipping-point alarm bells, did the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil make meaningful progress? n nThe global climate summit concluded in Belém, the gateway to the Amazon forest, in November, with more than 56,000 world leaders, scientists, private-sector organizations, Indigenous Peoples and civil society members attending. n nThe hot, sweaty and sometimes chaotic Blue Zone provided an intense backdrop as the negotiations pushed into overtime. As the gavel finally struck, COP30 showed that while multilateral agreements are still possible, the deep cracks in global governance require new and innovative collaboration models. In this emerging picture, multi-stakeholder action is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, but a critical part of achieving progress. n nThe summit also signalled a recognition of the importance of healthy ecosystems and land restoration for climate, and a breakthrough for Indigenous Peoples, with the largest gathering of Indigenous representatives at any COP conference. n nCOP30 was billed as the ‘Implementation COP’, with the overarching goal of putting existing commitments into action. So how did it do? n nLoading… n nCOP30 achievements n nWhile this year´s conference fell short in many areas, there were some glimpses of light emerging from the negotiations and the voluntary action agenda: n nIncremental progress on resilience and adaptation: COP30 concluded with an agreement to triple adaptation finance. The new target increases adaptation finance to $120 billion per year, as part of the broader $300 billion per year in climate finance (known as the new collective quantified goal, or NCQG, agreed at COP29). While an important political signal, the target did not include any baseline, and remains far below the needs of developing countries. This year’s meeting also aimed to advance a global goal on adaptation, by adopting a set of indicators. A list of 59 indicators was adopted – however, with compromises that will make them more difficult to operationalize. n nDecision on a just transition mechanism: Parties agreed to enhance technical assistance, capacity-building and knowledge sharing, via a new mechanism: the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) for a Global Just Transition. The mechanism includes unprecedented references to labour, human and environmental rights. The World Economic Forum launched a framework for how to align climate action with positive socioeconomic outcomes as part of corporate approaches to support a just transition. n nInternational trade enters the negotiations: For the first time, trade – including carbon trade measures such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) – were discussed as part of formal negotiations. A first-ever workstream on trade was launched, signalling the growing importance of trade for the climate agenda. n nFinancing for nature and tropical forests: The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) was launched at the World Leaders’ Summit to protect tropical forests, endorsed by 34 tropical forest countries, along with pledges supporting Indigenous Peoples, local communities and land rights. Germany will contribute $1.16 billion to the TFFF fund, while Norway, Brazil, Indonesia, Portugal, France and the Netherlands committed to provide future financial support. The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) launched the Catalytic Capital for the Agriculture Transition (CCAT) fund to restore degraded land, with a $50 million founding commitment. The fund will provide financial tools to help farmers in Brazil transition to more productive and sustainable practices, while also addressing deforestation. n nThe Action Agenda rises: The voluntary thematic ‘Climate Action Agenda’ was recognized as the place for practical and ambitious action across sectors and regions, including by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell: “The Climate Action Agenda is not a nice-to-have on the side. It is mission-critical and a key part of the Paris Agreement”. Over 480 initiatives were activated to accelerate solutions across key areas – including energy and industry transition, forest, oceans and biodiversity, food and agriculture, cities and infrastructure, human and social development, financing and technology – demonstrating real-economy momentum and action. n nIndigenous People took centre stage: Around 3,000 members of traditional communities took part in COP30 debates, the largest Indigenous participation in the history of the conference. Recognizing the importance of Indigenous culture and land to addressing the climate crisis, Brazil announced the creation of 10 new Indigenous territories during COP30, one of which encompasses over 78% of the Amazon National Park. n nAnd what COP30 didn’t achieve… n nDespite some progress at COP30, crucial goals were missed: n nLack of roadmaps to phase out fossil fuels and on deforestation: Despite more than 80 countries backing a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, the final outcome made no reference to “fossil fuels” and leaders failed to agree on binding commitments. In light of this, the Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands announced they will co-host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in 2026, opening for voluntary pathways. Negotiations also failed to agree on a binding agreement for a deforestation roadmap. However, Brazil announced that they would launch a voluntary process to develop a roadmap, to be presented at COP31 in Turkey. n nMissed NDC3.0 opportunity: COP30 was intended to be an opportunity to significantly step up countries’ ambitions by having parties present new and revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the next 10 years. Finally, only 121 countries submitted new NDCs, with 76 still missing targets, representing over a quarter (26%) of global emissions. For the first time, parties acknowledged the likelihood of overshooting 1.5C this century. n nCarbon markets: Coming on the heels of COP29 where Article 6 on carbon markets was a core priority, this year´s summit only made incremental progress in operationalizing a transparent and high-integrity global carbon market, with little advancements on articles 6.2 and 6.4. Outside of negotiations, however, Brazil launched the “Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets” supported by 17 countries and the EU to establish a shared standard and connect carbon credit trading systems to generate liquidity, predictability, and transparency, leveraging compliance carbon markets. n nWhat now? n n“ n nI’m not saying we’re winning the climate fight. But we are undeniably still in it, and we are fighting back. —Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCC n n” n n— Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary, UNFCC n nCOP30 showed that despite an increasingly turbulent geopolitical landscape, multilateral climate cooperation continues. “For the first time, 194 nations said in unison: ‘…the global transition to low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilience is irreversible and the trend of the future,’ said Simon Stiell in his closing speech. “194 nations agreed this word by word, because it is the truth, backed up by investment flows into renewables that now double fossil fuels. This is a political and market signal that cannot be ignored.” n nHowever, the future of climate action cannot rely exclusively on consensus outcomes by formal negotiations, but increasingly of a combination of formal and voluntary action, as evidenced by the solutions, innovations and actions stemming from the Action Agenda. n nDiscover n nHow is the World Economic Forum fighting the climate crisis? n nThe Global Risks Report 2023 ranked failure to mitigate climate change as one of the most severe threats in the next two years, while climate- and nature- related risks lead the rankings by severity over the long term. n nThe World Economic Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate is a multistakeholder platform that seeks to safeguard our global commons and drive systems transformation. It is accelerating action on climate change towards a net-zero, nature-positive future. n nLearn more about our impact: n nScaling up green technologies: Through a partnership with the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, and over 65 global businesses, the First Movers Coalition has committed $12 billion in purchase commitments for green technologies to decarbonize the cement and concrete industry. n n1 trillion trees: Over 90 global companies have committed to conserve, restore and grow more than 8 billion trees in 65 countries through the 1t.org initiative – which aims to achieve 1 trillion trees by 2030. n nSustainable food production: Our Food Action Alliance is engaging 40 partners who are working on 29 flagship initiatives to provide healthy, nutritious, and safe foods in ways that safeguard our planet. In Vietnam, it supported the upskilling of 2.2 million farmers and aims to provide 20 million farmers with the skills to learn and adapt to new agricultural standards. n nEliminating plastic pollution: Our Global Plastic Action Partnership is bringing together governments, businesses and civil society to shape a more sustainable world through the eradication of plastic pollution. In Ghana, more than 2,000 waste pickers are making an impact cleaning up beaches, drains and other sites. n nProtecting the ocean: Our 2030 Water Resources Group has facilitated almost $1 billion to finance water-related programmes, growing into a network of more than 1,000 partners and operating in 14 countries/states. n nCircular economy: Our SCALE 360 initiative is reducing the environmental impacts of value chains within the fashion, food, plastics and electronics industries, positively impacting over 100,000 people in 60 circular economy interventions globally. n nWant to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us. n nOn the road to Davos n nJanuary’s World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, will be the first major public-private forum post-COP30. n nUnder the theme ‘A Spirit of Dialogue’, it will be an opportunity for international delegates to address some of the wider issues raised at the UN climate talks, such as achieving cooperation in a contested world, investing in people and planet and deploying responsible innovation at scale. n nLooking towards COP31 n nAustralia and Turkey are set to co-host next year’s COP31, with Australia leading negotiations among governments and the talks themselves due to take place in the Mediterranean city of Antalya in November 2026. n nLoading… n nMore on Climate Action and Waste Reduction n nSee all n nAlready a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market: CEO Guide to Growth in the Green Economy n n5 hours ago n nHow to build the financial architecture to scale carbon removal n nBuilding Climate-Resilient Utilities: Lessons from China and Future Pathways n nDec 1, 2025 n nElectrification could save Europe €250 billion annually to reinvest in the energy transition n nAccelerating Value Chain Decarbonization for Corporate Growth: Perspectives from Asia n nNov 27, 2025 n nScaling Traceability Innovation to Unlock the Value of Informal Waste Management n nNov 26, 2025