Cop 30 Reflections Climate Action Tai Tokerau

In writing this post, I am using Edward de Bono’s six thinking hats to ensure different perspectives on CoP 30. Here is a link to a video briefly outlining the hats and why they are used. We’ve got used to the post-CoP hangover. Negotiations go late into the last scheduled night, and when any written agreements emerge, they are replete with compromise. Donning Edward de Bono’s black hat evokes the perspective that we have been here before and these global talk fests just produce a lot of CO2.The failure to secure a universal fossil-fuel phase-out roadmap... If you are from one of the smaller nations of the world, such as the Pacific Island states, you have much to lose, all the more frustrating when you have done very little to...

Global warming remains an existential threat! New Zealand sent a delegation, but what was the point? Our government did not join the 83 countries calling for a fossil-fuel phase-out roadmap. The 2025 UN climate talks wrapped on Saturday, Nov. 22 after negotiations pushed into overtime. The resulting decision secured some important wins, both inside and outside the negotiations.

But it omitted some of the big-ticket items many hoped to see. With efforts to halt temperature rise severely off track and climate disasters becoming ever-more destructive, the summit (COP30) aimed to establish clear pathways to deliver past pledges and put the world on a safer... A key question was how countries would address lagging ambition in their new climate commitments (NDCs). Hopes that countries would commit to roadmaps to end fossil fuel use and halt deforestation were ultimately dashed after opposition from petrostates. The final decision only included new voluntary initiatives to accelerate national climate action, though the Brazilian Presidency intends to move forward with fossil fuel and deforestation roadmaps outside of the formal COP talks. Building resilience to climate impacts took center stage, with COP30 securing a new target to triple finance for climate adaptation.

The COP also laid out practical solutions to increase finance for the low-carbon transition. In an era of trade wars and tariffs, negotiators also agreed for the first time to hold discussions on how trade policies can help — or hinder — climate action. Against the backdrop of the Amazon, nature also saw advances, including a new fund for tropical forest conservation. Indigenous Peoples and other local communities were recognized like never before. And outside the formal negotiations, the summit saw a raft of new pledges and action plans from cities, states, countries and the private sector. It is clear that we are moving from negotiations to implementation, and from wrangling over what to do to how to do it.

These victories matter. It shows that international cooperation can still deliver, despite deepening divides on climate action and a difficult geopolitical context. It culminated in 195 Parties approving the Belém Package, which include agreements on just transition, adaptation finance, trade, gender, and technology. COP30 President, André Corrêa do Lago remarked the conference was to be remembered as a “beginning of a decade of turning the game”. Brazil spearheaded an unprecedented global dialogue on the future of fossil fuels. Although consensus was not reached, the Brazilian Presidency released the final “global mutirão” (meaning “collective efforts”).

The final statement omitted any direct reference to fossil fuels, prompting concern from many nations, but did include strong warnings on the cost of inaction. During the final negotiation session over 80 countries demanded a specific plan on the move away from fossil fuels, however more than 80 countries opposed this, leading to the Brazilian Presidency announcing its own... UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, during the closing plenaries on Saturday said: “For two weeks each year, COP brings climate to the top of the agenda. As we leave here, our job is to keep it there for another fifty”. The next phase will see countries shifting from ambition into delivery. Key priorities are to activate the Baku–Belém Roadmap for finance and adaptation, mobilize private-sector investment in line with green climate goals and launch the Global Implementation Accelerator and Belém Mission to 1.5°C to drive...

Turkey is set to physically host COP31 in November 2026, while Australia will take on the role of President of Negotiations, with ownership of the negotiations agenda. The Pressure Cooker of Global Talks (Image Credits: Flickr) Belém, Brazil – In the sweltering heat of the Amazon region, negotiators wrapped up two intense weeks of talks that left the world buzzing with a mix of hope and hard questions. Picture this: world leaders from over 190 countries crammed into a city pulsing with rainforest energy, all racing against a ticking climate clock. Reports leading up to COP30 painted a grim picture, with global warming still barreling toward 2.3 degrees Celsius even after fresh national plans. Yet, the summit kicked off with bold calls from UN chief António Guterres for slashing emissions and unlocking trillions in finance for vulnerable nations.

Frustrations boiled over early, especially from small island states demanding a dedicated agenda spot to track progress toward 1.5 degrees. Instead of a full overhaul, talks pivoted to informal consultations, blending hot-button issues like ambition and adaptation. It felt like a high-wire act, balancing urgency with diplomacy. Still, these early tensions set the stage for compromises that, while not perfect, nudged the needle forward. COP30 left people feeling conflicted. Many are disappointed by the failure to secure clear language around fossil fuel phase-out, establish a tangible plan to protect biodiversity, and deliver commitments for adaptation funding.

The pace of progress also remains too slow for communities already experiencing severe climate impacts, a reality brought into sharp focus by the voices of Indigenous leaders attending this conference in the heart of... These concerns are valid, and they were widely felt throughout the conference. Despite these challenges and the frustrations voiced throughout the negotiations, there were several developments that point to deeper shifts in global climate policy. They also touch on areas that Climate Strategies has been pursuing over the last twenty years: advancing climate and trade integration, supporting fossil fuel transitions, and embedding justice and equity at the centre of... 1. The Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade (IFCCT)

The global trade system is a powerful tool for tackling the climate crisis. In recent years, we have seen a proliferation of Trade-Related Climate Measures (TrCMs)—such as the EU CBAM. These policies signal the climate ambition of many nations, but they have far-reaching consequences, particularly for developing countries. By centring cooperation, countries could create mutually beneficial and justice-centered TrCMs— bolstering joint climate action and delivering sustainable development. We start with a thank you to the civil society partners and funders who joined for the TAI Learning Days last week, one event among a busy Berlin Freedom Week. We heard some much needed inspiration in the fight for democracy and civic space.

We will be packaging insights, but you can get a sense of the mood in this video. However, you may have a sharp change of mood when you read the latest data on the funding situation facing so many in civil society. Blair Glencorse guides us through Accountability Lab, Humentum and Global Voices survey findings, while International IDEA has released its report examining the impact of foreign aid cuts on the worldwide democracy, rights, governance, and... Together, they paint a dark picture. A new alert from The Sentry draws on corporate records to document links between the UAE and Colombian mercenaries deployed to Sudan. The investigators urge financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on customers and transactions involving UAE private security providers, their owners, and their suppliers.

Accountability Lab Nepal showcases six community-based organizations that received Innovation Grants over the past ten months to promote government accountability, inclusion, youth participation, and responsive local governance. These organizations have advanced inclusivity in local governance, transparency through data, and creative activism across Nepal. As negotiations for a UN Tax Convention continued last week, Bemnet Agara and Alex Cobham highlighted India’s intervention demanding attention to illicit financial flows and urging a broad UN definition inclusive of aggressive tax... Want to know more? The new UN Tax Convention Hub brings together the latest updates, analysis, and official resources to track developments in this landmark process. Other publication / This report underscores how forests and trees can strengthen agrifood systems by supporting climate regulation, soil health and resilient production.

1 December 2025 / About Climate policy, Food and agriculture and Forests Perspective / As the Paris Agreement approaches its 10-year anniversary, Sara Vigil reflects on its impact and future. 1 December 2025 / About Climate policy and Mitigation Perspective / Karen Brandon introduces a series of perspectives by SEI researchers examining the past and future of the Paris Agreement on its 10-year anniversary this month. Attending a UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) has been a dream of mine for years, and this November I finally experienced it firsthand as part of the Tufts University delegation to... The conference offered an incredible learning opportunity to see theory put into practice, and to witness the delicate diplomacy of international climate negotiations in real life.

Situated at the mouth of the Amazon Delta and surrounded by the rainforest, the location of the conference was also a visual reminder of both the urgency and the stakes of global climate action. Dubbed variously as the COP of implementation, adaptation, and truth, COP30 aimed to turn mitigation and finance commitments into concrete actions, set global goals on adaptation, and defeat climate denialism. The opening plenary set a clear tone. Watching on a screen outside the plenary room due to limited space inside, I listened to President Lula emphasize that climate change is ‘not a threat of the future, but already a tragedy of... Despite the strong start, an agenda fight shaped much of the negotiations during the first week, highlighting contentious issues such as climate finance, unilateral trade measures, the ambition gap in the current NDCs, a... I witnessed the last topic playing out in a negotiating session where Saudi Arabia suggested that the IPCC, long seen as an authoritative source of consensus-based science, should only be considered ‘one scientific source’...

The absence of the United States was also felt in the negotiations, allowing certain voices such as Saudi Arabia to be louder, increasing expectations on the EU, and opening more room for leadership from... However, American subnational actors and civil society were still present, and other nations remained engaged, which was a promising sign that progress is possible even when political setbacks occur. While the negotiations were slow to kick into gear, there was an abundance of official side events and pavilion talks to attend in addition to the negotiations. I sat in on multiple sessions about climate finance, just energy transitions, and renewable energy, connecting what I have learned in classes at Fletcher to action on the ground. Panels emphasized decentralized energy solutions to close last-mile energy access gaps, how catalytic capital can absorb risk and unlock private investment in SDG-aligned projects, and the need to prioritize locally led approaches to climate... They also highlighted the criticality of just transitions, arguing that decarbonization must not come at the expense of development and economic growth in developing economies, and pathways must prioritize equitable outcomes, job creation, and...

Civil society was also central to the conference experience, which was heartening to see after previous COPs were held in countries that limited civil society participation and activism. Indigenous groups and local activists held demonstrations at the conference and throughout Belém, reminding negotiators and participants that climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities on the frontlines. Their presence reinforced that climate governance must place people at the center and that accountability, transparency, and measurable actions are essential to maintain trust and drive real-world outcomes. When I arrived in Belém for what many called the "COP of Implementation," the stakes felt different. This doesn’t feel like just another climate summit – COP30 was where adaptation finance had to move from rhetoric to reality. The choice of Belém as host city was no accident.

Situated at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest, the city embodies the dual challenge of both climate adaptation and mitigation. The Amazon serves as both a critical carbon sink and a region already experiencing severe climate impacts from deforestation, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events. Local communities here face adaptation challenges daily: shifting agricultural seasons, flooding, drought, and the loss of forest-dependent livelihoods. This made Belém the perfect backdrop for urgent conversations about financing adaptation solutions that work for the world's most vulnerable regions while also addressing the intertwined challenges of forest conservation and restoration. For the first time, the IPCC dedicated an entire section to adaptation finance in their latest assessment, signaling that adaptation could no longer remain climate action's "forgotten pillar." The Green Climate Fund, celebrating its... Meanwhile, the Baku-to-Belém Finance Roadmap—following COP29's contentious $300 billion commitment—placed the implementation challenge front and center: How do we close the $65 billion adaptation finance gap?

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