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Ngos Criticize The Modest And Weak Outcomes Of Cop30 For Lack Of

Leo Migdal
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ngos criticize the modest and weak outcomes of cop30 for lack of

On the closing of the COP30 in Belém, Brazil, environmental NGOs launched harsh criticisms against the results of the climate summit. The environmental organizations deemed the agreements reached at the event insufficient in light of the global climate urgency. In particular, the absence of clear references to fossil fuels in the final documents generated disappointment among environment defenders. Among them, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) described the summit’s balance as “modest” and warned that the progress made is not enough to tackle the current climate crisis. “We are left with a weak document lacking in substance,” stated Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF spokesperson and former president of COP20. COP30’s progress overshadowed by empty fossil fuel deal and fading ambition

After two weeks of negotiations marked by severe logistical hurdles, COP30—held in Belém, Brazil, a decade after the Paris Agreement and on the edge of the Amazon—officially concluded last Saturday. Expectations were high: COP30 was meant to be a transformative moment for the Paris Agreement, ushering in a new era of ambition through the third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0). These updated commitments were expected to chart a credible path to avoiding the worst climate impacts this decade. Yet, despite notable advances, many developing countries walked away disappointed. Although there was progress on methane finance, adaptation funding, carbon market rules and transparency, the final outcome left the world off track for its 2030 goals. The final decision text—titled “global mutirão” (“collective efforts”)—did not mention fossil fuels, omitted a coal/oil/gas phase-out roadmap and offered only soft language on adaptation finance.

With the potential for funding cuts of up to 40%, climate-vulnerable countries are left facing intensifying storms, floods and droughts largely on their own. The inability to meaningfully advance the landmark fossil-fuel phase-out momentum launched at COP28 has raised new questions about the future credibility of the UN climate process, the Paris Agreement and the world’s collective climate... 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. Climate Action Network International (CAN) welcomes the adoption of the Just Transition mechanism as one of the strongest rights-based outcomes in the history of the UN climate negotiations. At the same time, CAN warns that COP30 has produced weak outcomes in the very areas that are critical to ensuring justice for vulnerable and frontline communities. A dangerously weak outcome on Adaptation finance leaves little hope for impacted communities. Further adding to this injustice, governments did not deliver a concrete global response plan to address the ambition gap, and only agreed to have further processes to address this gap including on a just,... We need implementation that includes finance to urgently address the root cause of the climate crisis.

The real faultline running through COP30 was the refusal of developed countries to agree to the provision of finance across all areas. Their blocking of commitments on Adaptation finance, mitigation ambition, and the transition away from fossil fuels directly weakened the overall outcome. By once again failing to meet their climate-finance obligations – obligations grounded in historical responsibility – developed countries have undermined trust and fairness in the process and limited what this COP could have achieved. The Just Transition mechanism stands as the major achievement of COP30 and for workers and communities across the world. More ambition on climate is possible if we put social justice at the heart. No COP decision has ever carried such ambitious and comprehensive language on rights and inclusion: human rights; labour rights; the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Afro-decendants; and strong references to gender equality, women’s empowerment, education,...

This outcome did not happen by accident. This is the result of the hard fought struggles and collective power of trade unions, communities, social movements, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, and civil society over many years and especially escalating this year for an... Climate Summit Ends with Weak Outcomes on Fossil Fuels and Forests Share this via Facebook Share this via Bluesky Share this via X Share this via WhatsApp Share this via Email More sharing options Share this via LinkedIn Share this via Reddit Share this via... In Belem, Brazil, as the United Nations climate summit (COP30) convened, I marched alongside thousands of activists and Indigenous peoples calling on governments to urgently address climate change and protect human rights. As previous host countries restricted such demonstrations, the November 15 march was exhilarating.

However, despite clear—and powerful—calls from civil society for the summit to take bolder steps on climate change and to uphold human rights, COP30 failed to make progress on two key issues: fossil fuels and... Human Rights Watch has researched how communities near coal, oil, and gas sites face severe harms, and how Indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities continue to face violence and land grabs. Ahead of the summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged countries to agree on “roadmaps” to transition away from fossil fuels and to end the deforestation that has been disastrous for the... During negotiations, more than 80 countries—led by Colombia and supported by climate-vulnerable states—pushed for a roadmap on fossil fuels to be reflected in the final negotiated text. The UN climate summit COP30 fell short of expectations and scientific requirements to keep global warming in check, according to German researchers, climate NGOs, and government officials. They said it was particularly disappointing that negotiations ended without a roadmap for phasing out coal, oil and gas.

Agreements reached at the COP30 climate conference on the phaseout of fossil fuels and rainforest protection fall short of what is required to keep climate change in check and avoid tipping points, German scientists... “COP30 has not been marked by groundbreaking agreements,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). “Countries are making insufficient pledges, and even these commitments are not being honoured.” The UN climate change conference took place over the past two weeks. Delegates discussed key global issues including protection of rainforests, combating deforestation, cooperation on adaptation, climate finance, and the fossil fuel phaseout. “From a European perspective, COP30 in Belém is disappointing,” said Claudia Kemfert from the economic institute DIW.

She added that the conference ended without a roadmap for phasing out coal, oil and gas, despite support from a coalition of over 80 countries. Belem, Brazil, November 23, 2025 – COP30 has failed to live up to the spirit of mutirão—the global solidarity needed to confront the accelerating climate crisis. The outcome In Belem exposes critical gaps in ambition and political will. Adaptation finance remains insufficient and there is no certainty about the – in principle – agreed scale-up leaving vulnerable countries with little support to bear the brunt of an already changed climate they had... Despite broad recognition that adaptation to the impacts of climate change is critical, developing countries’ demand to triple adaptation finance to at least $120 billion a year by 2030 remains unmet as developed countries... At the same time, the outcome provides no clear roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, threatening the fault line of 1.5°C: without stronger action now, the world is heading towards high temperatures where...

The absence of a clear signal to phase out fossil fuels undermines any prospect of a fair and effective global and just transition. COP30 delivered a new Belém Gender Action Plan — an important step forward, but without real finance or accountability, women and girls on the frontlines are still left waiting for meaningful support. CARE remains concerned that governments are not moving beyond rhetoric and are failing to deliver predictable, grant-based finance, a credible pathway away from fossil fuels, and climate plans that reflect the urgency of the... The global climate summit, COP30, in Belém, Brazil, promised much – but didn’t deliver the decisive steps the world urgently needs. Countries approved a set of modest actions but failed to secure agreements on the most crucial issues. Following a year when global temperatures topped 1.5°C for a whole year for the first time, the formal talks concluded without a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels – the single biggest cause...

And despite the summit being held against the backdrop of the Amazon rainforest, there was also no agreement on a roadmap to end deforestation by 2030. The most significant formal decision was the approval of a just transition mechanism to strengthen international cooperation and support developing nations through the shift to renewable energy. The final Preamble also included welcome references to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, ocean, and science. Negotiators were unable to agree on any direct mention of the transition away from fossil fuels in the formal texts, despite support from at least 86 countries. Similarly, the wider political will needed to secure a plan to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 was lacking. Responding to this diplomatic impasse, the COP Presidency announced that Brazil would lead international initiatives to develop roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation.

These discussions will take place outside the formal negotiations, reporting back at COP31 next year. Members from the Penn delegation at COP30 and researchers from Penn's campus reflect on the outcomes of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The lack of significant actionable items from the end of COP30 shows that the world remains divided on how to address the critical issue of climate change. Experts from across the University of Pennsylvania and our extended network—some recently returned from Belém—have shared their perspectives on the results of COP30 and what may be in store for the future of international... I had anticipated an unusual COP in Belém, given, among other things, the lack of a clear theme, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) ambition gap hanging in the air, and no official U.S. presence.

However, even beyond the heat, humidity, and fire inside the venue, this COP was more unusual than expected. Given the geopolitics this year, my litmus test for success had been somewhat modest: The second element was not realized. Here’s hoping the shared COP31 does better.

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