Background
The 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), hosted in Belém, Brazil from November 10-21[1], represented a pivotal moment in the evolution of global climate governance. Coming a decade after the adoption of the Paris Agreement[2], the conference unfolded under a unique combination of urgency, political fragmentation, and rising expectations for implementation. More importantly, COP30 served as a reality check for governments, negotiators, and civil society: despite years of summits, commitments, and pledges, global emissions continue to rise, adaptation finance lags far behind needs, and the world remains off-track for the 1.5°C target.[3] Against this backdrop, COP30’s outcomes shape not only immediate climate action but also signal the trajectory of global climate politics in the years ahead.
