COP30: Reflections, commitments, and next steps

It culminated in 195 Parties approving the Belém Package, which include agreements on just transition, adaptation finance, trade, gender, and technology. COP30 President, André Corrêa do Lago remarked the conference was to be remembered as a “beginning of a decade of turning the game”.

Key highlights include:

• Over 122 countries submitted new or updated existing nationally determined contributions
• Adaptation finance to triple by 2035, highlighting the need for developed countries to significantly boost climate finance for developing nations more at risk to the impacts of climate change
• Establishing the Baku Adaptation Roadmap, which sets out the work for 2026–2028, until the next Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement
• Adoption of 59 voluntary indicators to track progress under the Global Goal on Adaptation, which include water, food, health, ecosystems, infrastructure, and livelihoods, as well as finance, technology, and capacity-building, which will assist in future reporting and accountability
• Forest Finance Roadmap backed by 36 countries to plug a $66.8 billion gap in tropical protection and the Tropical Forests Forever Facility was launched
• A Just Transition Mechanism to promote equity, capacity-building, and technical support
• Gender Action Plan to strengthen support for Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural women
• Adoption of the Belem Health Actin Plan, endorsed by more than 30 countries and 50 organizations, elevated health as a frontline climate priority

Challenges

Brazil spearheaded an unprecedented global dialogue on the future of fossil fuels. Although consensus was not reached, the Brazilian Presidency released the final “global mutirão” (meaning “collective efforts”). The final statement omitted any direct reference to fossil fuels, prompting concern from many nations, but did include strong warnings on the cost of inaction. During the final negotiation session over 80 countries demanded a specific plan on the move away from fossil fuels, however more than 80 countries opposed this, leading to the Brazilian Presidency announcing its own initiative, to transition to a fossil-fuel free economy outside of the COP process.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, during the closing plenaries on Saturday said: “For two weeks each year, COP brings climate to the top of the agenda. As we leave here, our job is to keep it there for another fifty”.

Next steps

The next phase will see countries shifting from ambition into delivery. Key priorities are to activate the Baku–Belém Roadmap for finance and adaptation, mobilize private-sector investment in line with green climate goals and launch the Global Implementation Accelerator and Belém Mission to 1.5°C to drive ambition and implementation.

Turkey is set to physically host COP31 in November 2026, while Australia will take on the role of President of Negotiations, with ownership of the negotiations agenda.

Further reading

Read all of our daily briefings on COP30 here: COP30 | Business Topics | Eversheds Sutherland and register for our ‘Strategic Reflections on COP30’ webinar on Wednesday 26^th November here.