Belem: Thousands of delegates, campaigners, journalists, and industry figures are gathering in Brazil’s Belem, a city perched at the gateway to the Amazon, for the COP30 climate summit running from Nov. 10 to Nov. 21. Since Brazil won the bid to host, hopes have been high that a COP held in the Amazon – in the country that once convened the original Earth Summit – might finally deliver a real breakthrough in confronting climate change. However, there are growing concerns that the summit may not meet these expectations.
According to Anadolu Agency, many fear this 30th UN climate conference may fall into familiar patterns: offering little concrete progress while becoming another showcase for lobbyists and officials, leaving the most urgent environmental concerns pushed to the margins. Patrick Galey, who heads fossil-fuel investigations at Global Witness, expressed concerns over a ‘lack of urgency,’ a sentiment echoed by other prominent figures. Last year, climate-policy leaders including former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and ex-UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, warned that the COP system is ‘no longer fit for purpose.’
Albert Norstrom, an associate professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, commented that the COP system has essentially done what it was created to do – foster diplomacy and consensus. Although it delivered the Paris Agreement, methane pledges, and several climate-finance mechanisms, the current decade demands tangible action which the COP is struggling to provide. Norstrom noted that emissions continue to rise, natural carbon sinks are weakening, and the 1.5C threshold may be breached soon. He stated, ‘The architecture was built for negotiation, not ambitious delivery. So, yes, it worked for building the framework – but it’s failing to turn promises into performance.’
Critics argue that COP gatherings are dominated by large delegations from wealthy nations and industry groups, often promoting weak or misleading climate strategies. This overshadows the voices of those most impacted by climate change. Despite these criticisms, experts acknowledge the COP system’s significant accomplishments, such as setting the 1.5C goal, establishing the loss and damage fund, and securing various finance commitments.
Cibele Queiroz, director of knowledge at the Global Resilience Partnership, pointed out, ‘But with this said, the process is being too slow and inefficient, and not able to properly address the striking inequalities on who bears the responsibility and the burden of climate change.’