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What Cop30 Means For Esg The Corporate Governance Institute

Leo Migdal
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what cop30 means for esg the corporate governance institute

From Baku to Belém: What COP29 means for ESG and what to expect from COP30 After nearly three decades of climate diplomacy, the annual COP meetings have become both a stage for ambition and a mirror of stagnation. Each year, these conferences leave us with a sense of inspiration and unease. Inspired because it continues to gather and reaffirm the urgency of action and unsettled because despite the increasingly sophisticated language around ‘net zero’, ‘nature positive economies’, we continue to remain off course for 1.5°C. Therefore, it’s hard to ignore the contradiction. The outcome of Baku COP29 captured this paradox: USD 1.3 trillion climate finance roadmap (agreeing on a new climate finance goal of at least $300 billion per year from developed countries by 2035, with...

How the funds exactly will flow and how much of that capital will truly reach the communities most affected by climate change. As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November 2025), the climate and sustainability community faces an inflection point. COP29 in Baku last year was widely characterised as the focus on finances with its principal outcome being new global finance goal, the main substantive outcome of the meeting was named the Baku Climate... Yet, many of the key mechanisms such as accountability and verification of ESG principles were deferred. For Governance and ESG professionals, the question is not ‘What will be promised’ but instead ‘What will be proven?’ Gain real-world ESG insights in just 15 minutes.

Unlock instant access to a free, expert-led lesson. After nearly three decades of climate diplomacy, the annual COP meetings have become both a stage for ambition and a mirror of stagnation. Each year, these conferences leave us with a sense of inspiration and unease. Inspired because it continues to gather and reaffirm the urgency of action, and unsettled because despite the increasingly sophisticated language around ‘net zero’, ‘nature positive economies’, we continue to remain off course for 1.5°C. Therefore, it’s hard to ignore the contradiction. The outcome of Baku COP29 captured this paradox: $1.3 trillion climate finance roadmap (agreeing on a new climate finance goal of at least $300 billion per year from developed countries by 2035, with a...

How the funds exactly will flow and how much of that capital will truly reach the communities most affected by climate change. As the world heads to COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November 2025), the climate and sustainability community faces an inflection point. COP29 in Baku last year was widely characterised by the focus on finances with its principal outcome being the new global finance goal, and the main substantive outcome of the meeting named the Baku... Yet, many of the key mechanisms such as accountability and verification of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles were deferred. For governance and ESG professionals, the question is not ‘What will be promised’ but instead ‘What will be proven?’ Every November, the UN’s annual climate change conference (COP) brings together governments, businesses, and civil society to assess progress and shape the next phase of global climate action.

COP30, held in Belém, Brazil this November, was widely described as a “COP of implementation”, turning ambition into results. However, as we approach 2030, the deadline for Paris Agreement climate pledges, it showed that our current efforts are still falling short, and we must do more. COP30 delivered several important outcomes, as explained below, including clearer indicators for measuring climate adaptation, greater recognition of Indigenous rights, and increased finance goals for vulnerable communities. However, major challenges remain: global emissions are still rising, no binding fossil fuel phase-out was agreed, and there are concerns about fossil fuel lobbyists taking part. So, what were the key developments and what can businesses take away from the conference? While we’re getting better at tracking climate progress, we’re still emitting more greenhouse gases than we should if we want to keep global warming to 1.5°C - or even 2°C - above pre-industrial levels...

At COP30, 59 optional indicators were adopted across industries such as water, agriculture, and health, to help measure and improve how we prepare for climate impacts. A two-year plan called the “Belém-Addis vision”, was agreed to refine these indicators so they’re easier for countries to use (IISD, 2025). COP30 in Belém was billed as the “implementation COP”, shifting the focus from headline pledges to practical delivery on climate commitments. Simon Weaver, Global Head of ESG Advisory at KPMG, reflects on what this means for business and finance: from the rising importance of adaptation and nature, to the evolving role of the Chief Sustainability... He also explores why quantifying the cost of inaction, mobilising private capital and embracing AI will be critical as leaders head towards Davos and confront widening adaptation and nature gaps. COP 30 was termed the “implementation COP” – with the presidency recognising the need to move from discussion to action.

It is one thing having NDCs – but we now need actionable plans that will deliver on this, with clarity on the innovations, policies and investments needed to achieve the commitments set out in... Without this it is very hard for the various stakeholders (companies, citizens etc) to know how they fit in, noting that companies and citizens clearly can influence policy too Compared to COP 29 in Baku, there was significantly more discussion in Belem around both Adaptation and Nature – two issues that are inherently linked. The evidence is clear that climate adaptation investment yields significant returns. The World Resources Institute has just published its own research that reveals that every US$1 spent on adaptation and resilience returns around US$10. Despite the clear business case, spend in these two areas remains woefully low.

As COP30 begins, I have been thinking about how easy it is to talk about ESG. But ESG is not just a checklist, it is about how we make decisions that last. Governance may not be the most visible part of sustainability, but I genuinely think it is where long-term change quietly takes root. And maybe progress is not always about setting new goals, but keeping the ones we have already made. https://lnkd.in/eD6a3cVB In this guest post, David Galea, Business Process Reengineering & Digital Transformation Expert explores the genius of AI in sustainability.

LinkedIn’s new report shows Green skills are in highest demand, reshaping hiring and creating a major talent gap for businesses. Discover COP30 key outcomes, and what they mean for business in this expert post from Marvin Uehara, Adjunct Professor at Temple University. EU reforms to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) propose new investment categories and streamlined reporting. 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.

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From Baku To Belém: What COP29 Means For ESG And

From Baku to Belém: What COP29 means for ESG and what to expect from COP30 After nearly three decades of climate diplomacy, the annual COP meetings have become both a stage for ambition and a mirror of stagnation. Each year, these conferences leave us with a sense of inspiration and unease. Inspired because it continues to gather and reaffirm the urgency of action and unsettled because despite the...

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How the funds exactly will flow and how much of that capital will truly reach the communities most affected by climate change. As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November 2025), the climate and sustainability community faces an inflection point. COP29 in Baku last year was widely characterised as the focus on finances with its principal outcome being new global finance goal, t...

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Unlock instant access to a free, expert-led lesson. After nearly three decades of climate diplomacy, the annual COP meetings have become both a stage for ambition and a mirror of stagnation. Each year, these conferences leave us with a sense of inspiration and unease. Inspired because it continues to gather and reaffirm the urgency of action, and unsettled because despite the increasingly sophisti...

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How the funds exactly will flow and how much of that capital will truly reach the communities most affected by climate change. As the world heads to COP30 in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November 2025), the climate and sustainability community faces an inflection point. COP29 in Baku last year was widely characterised by the focus on finances with its principal outcome being the new global finance goal, a...

COP30, Held In Belém, Brazil This November, Was Widely Described

COP30, held in Belém, Brazil this November, was widely described as a “COP of implementation”, turning ambition into results. However, as we approach 2030, the deadline for Paris Agreement climate pledges, it showed that our current efforts are still falling short, and we must do more. COP30 delivered several important outcomes, as explained below, including clearer indicators for measuring climat...