COP30: Partial Progress but Urgent Climate Action Needed

James Alix Michel

When the world gathered in Glasgow for COP26, the mantra was “building back better.” Two years later, in Sharm El Sheikh, COP27 promised “implementation.” This year, in Belém, Brazil, COP30 arrived with a heavier burden: to finally bridge the gap between lofty rhetoric and the urgent, measurable steps needed to keep 1.5 °C alive.

Expectations of COP30

Expectations for COP30 were modest yet critical. After the disappointments of Copenhagen (2009) and the optimism sparked by Paris (2015), developing nations, small island states, Indigenous groups, and a swelling youth movement demanded three things:

Binding phase-out timelines for coal, oil, and gas.

A fully funded Loss and Damage Facility to compensate vulnerable countries already suffering climate impacts.

Scaled-up adaptation finance—tripling the $120 billion-a-year pledge and ensuring it reaches frontline communities.

However, negotiations evolved into a tug-of-war between ambition and inertia. Wealthier nations, still reeling from economic shocks, offered incremental increases in adaptation funding and a new Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) worth $125 billion, with 20 percent earmarked for Indigenous stewardship. The Global Implementation Accelerator—a two-year bridge to align Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with 1.5 °C—was launched, alongside a Just Transition Mechanism to share technology and financing.

Despite these advances, fossil fuel phase-out commitments remained voluntary; the Loss and Damage Fund was referenced but not fully capitalised; and the $120 billion adaptation pledge fell short of the $310 billion annual need.

Voices That Could Not Be Ignored

Developing nations (the G77+China) reminded the plenary that climate justice is not charity—it is a legal obligation under the UNFCCC. They demanded that historic emitters honour their “common but differentiated responsibilities.”

Island states (AOSIS) warned that sea-level rise is no longer a future scenario; it is eroding coastlines and displacing entire cultures. Their plea: “1.5 °C is our survival, not a bargaining chip.”

Indigenous peoples highlighted the destruction of Amazon and Boreal forests, urging that 30 percent of all climate finance flow directly to communities protecting 80 percent of biodiversity.

Youth—the Gen Z generation—marched outside the venue, chanting, “We will not be diluted,” demanding binding commitments and accountability mechanisms.

The Legacy of Copenhagen, Paris, and Previous COPs

COP15 in Copenhagen (2009) collapsed amid accusations of exclusion, while COP21 in Paris (2015) enshrined the 1.5 °C aspiration, sparking hope. Since then, COPs have been a carousel of promises: the Green Climate Fund fell $20 billion short; the 2022 Glasgow Climate Pact promised “phasing out coal” but left loopholes. Each iteration has chipped away at trust. COP30 aimed to reverse that trend.

The result? Partial progress, but far from the transformational shift required.

Achievements and Remaining Gaps

In blunt terms: COP30 did not fully achieve expectations. Pledges remain insufficient to limit warming to 1.5 °C. Critical gaps—binding fossil fuel timelines, robust loss and damage funding, and true equity in finance—remain unfilled.

Yet there are glimmers of hope. Tripling adaptation finance, the first allocation for Indigenous-led forest protection, and the creation of an Implementation Accelerator signal that the architecture for change exists. The challenge now is to fill it with real money and accountability.

What Must Happen Next

Full capitalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund.

G20 nations must commit 0.1 % of GDP and disburse within 12 months.

Binding fossil fuel phase-out for coal, oil, and gas, with just transition financing for workers.

Scale adaptation finance to $310 billion per year.

Rechannel fossil fuel subsidies to resilience projects.

Direct funding for Indigenous and youth initiatives.

Allocate 30 percent of climate finance to community-led stewardship.

Strengthen accountability.

Mandate annual NDC updates with independent verification and penalties for noncompliance.

The world has watched promises fade after every COP, yet the physics of climate change remain unforgiving. The urgency is not new; the window to act is shrinking. But hope endures—in solar panels lighting remote villages, in mangroves restored to buffer storms, and in the relentless energy of young activists demanding a livable planet.

Humanity has the knowledge, technology, and resources. What we need now is the collective political will to use them. Let COP30 be remembered not as another empty summit, but as the turning point where the world chose survival over complacency. The future is not written; we write it with every decision we make today.

James Alix Michel, Former President of the Republic of Seychelles, Member of Club de Madrid.