Overview
- The summit opened in Belém with roughly 50,000 participants and a call from UN climate chief Simon Stiell for countries to “fight this climate crisis, together.”
- Brazil secured agreement on the meeting agenda and signaled a shift toward practical initiatives that do not require full consensus rather than a single sweeping outcome.
- Divisions over phasing out oil, gas and coal persisted, with COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago cautioning that a consensus on fossil-fuel language is unlikely.
- A new UN tally shows current pledges would lower emissions about 12% by 2035 versus 2019 levels, far short of the roughly 60% cut scientists say is needed, and many nations missed NDC update deadlines.
- Finance and forests are central, with Brazil promoting the Tropical Forests Forever Facility and new Congo Basin commitments as last year’s $300 billion pledge trails needs and Brasília floats targets near $1.3 trillion; Indigenous leaders urged concrete protections over promises.