COP30 concluded in Belém, Brazil, on 22 November with a mixture of progress and limits. Delegates agreed to mobilise US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support global climate action. The package includes pledges to double adaptation finance for vulnerable countries by 2025 and to triple it by 2035, calls to operationalise the loss and damage fund, and launches two tools — the Global Implementation Accelerator and the Belém Mission to 1.5°C — intended to improve delivery of climate goals.
The summit was briefly disrupted when a fire in one pavilion on 20 November forced temporary evacuations and left several people treated for smoke inhalation. On the issue of fossil fuels, more than 80 countries supported Brazil’s proposal for a global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, but the final text reverted to the COP28 “UAE Consensus” phrasing asking for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” without timelines or concrete mechanisms. Negotiations on this topic will continue through an independent process ahead of COP31 amid what observers described as deep geopolitical rifts.
Experts warned about the consequences of delay. Brazilian scientist Carlos Nobre said fossil fuel use must reach zero between 2040 and 2045 to avoid a likely 2.5°C rise above pre‑industrial levels by mid‑century, which would threaten coral reefs, the Amazon rainforest and speed up Greenland ice melt. The UN Emissions Gap Report 2025 finds that full implementation of current national plans would still result in 2.3–2.5°C of warming, while current policies point to 2.8°C. It says emissions must fall 35% by 2035 from 2019 levels for a two‑degree pathway and 55% for 1.5°C, and warns a temporary overshoot of 1.5°C is “very likely” within the next decade.
Adaptation needs remain high: the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 estimates up to US$365 billion a year by 2035 for vulnerable countries, while international public adaptation finance was only US$26 billion in 2023, down from US$28 billion in 2022. Some advocates welcomed the pledge to triple adaptation finance but warned the package is weaker than needed and urged that funds be grant‑based, predictable and directly accessible to indigenous peoples and local communities. Meanwhile, climate investment is growing: the Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2025 reports global climate finance reached US$1.9 trillion in 2023, and observers said international public finance should at least meet the US$300 billion target agreed at COP29 in Baku by 2035.
Difficult words
- mobilise — arrange and provide money or resources
- adaptation — changes to cope with new climate effects
- operationalise — make a plan or fund work in practice
- phase out — gradually stop using or producing something
- pledge — formal promise to give support or moneypledges
- emission — pollutant or greenhouse gas released into airemissions
- overshoot — temporary exceedance of a target or limit
- vulnerable — likely to be harmed or affected badly
- predictable — able to be known or expected beforehand
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you think the pledge to mobilise US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035 will be enough? Give reasons based on the article.
- The article says adaptation funds should be grant-based, predictable and directly accessible to indigenous peoples and local communities. How could this change help those communities?
- What are the likely consequences if global emissions follow current policies and lead to around 2.8°C warming? Which impacts mentioned in the article concern you most, and why?
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