COP30, Belém (Brazil)
- 24 Nov 2025
In News:
The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded in Belém, Brazil, with the formal adoption of the Belém Package, marking a shift in global climate negotiations from ambition-setting to implementation and delivery.
Key Outcomes of COP30
1. Belém Package
- A set of 29 negotiated decisions focusing on implementation, not new binding targets.
- Emphasises climate finance, adaptation tracking, just transition, gender inclusion, and cooperative action to advance the Paris Agreement goals.
2. Global Mutirão Agreement & Platform
- Prioritises cooperation, collective action and deliverability over additional mandatory targets.
- Brazil launched the Global Mutirão Platform, a digital tool to narrow the gap between climate commitments and on-ground implementation, especially in energy, finance and trade.
3. Just Transition Mechanism (Belém Action Mechanism – BAM)
- Supports cooperation and capacity-building for workers and economies transitioning away from fossil fuels.
- Limitation: No assured or new financial commitments.
4. Tracking & Implementation Architecture
- Global Implementation Tracker and Belém Mission to 1.5°C launched to assess whether national actions and NDCs align with pathways limiting warming to 1.5°C.
- Signals a growing focus on monitoring delivery rather than announcing fresh pledges.
5. Adaptation-Focused Decisions
- National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Implementation Alliance launched to accelerate adaptation planning.
- Countries agreed to triple adaptation finance by 2030 (from 2025 levels), though sources and obligations remain unclear.
- Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA):Finalised the Baku Adaptation Roadmap with 59 voluntary indicators to track adaptation progress.
6. Sectoral & Thematic Initiatives
- Belém Health Action Plan: Strengthens climate-resilient health systems based on equity, climate justice and community participation.
- Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF): A payment-for-performance mechanism using satellite monitoring to reward forest conservation; aims to mobiliseUSD 125 billion (Brazil committed USD 1 billion).
- Belém 4x Pledge: Quadrupling sustainable fuel use by 2035 (hydrogen, biofuels, biogas, e-fuels); progress to be monitored annually by the IEA.
- Belém Declaration on Hunger, Poverty & People-Centred Climate Action: Signed by 43 countries + EU, prioritising vulnerable communities, adaptation, and social protection.
- Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP): Strengthens gender-responsive climate governance and women’s participation.
India’s Position at COP30
Climate Finance as a Legal Obligation
- India, along with BASIC and LMDC groups, demanded predictable, grant-based climate finance under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement.
- Called for a universally accepted definition of climate finance and mobilisation of the USD 1.3 trillion goal under the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap (COP29).
- Highlighted the Adaptation Gap: Developing countries may need USD 310–365 billion annually by 2035, while current flows remain around USD 26 billion.
Equity & Climate Justice
- Reaffirmed CBDR–RC (Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities).
- Opposed trade-restrictive climate measures like the EU’s CBAM, calling them discriminatory.
Adaptation Priority
- Stressed that adaptation must receive equal priority with mitigation, especially for vulnerable countries.
Major Shortcomings of COP30
- No clear fossil fuel phase-out roadmap.
- Weak progress on climate finance, with no clarity on obligations or sources.
- Ambition gap persists due to delayed NDC submissions by major emitters.
- Implementation gap remains, with limited enforcement and accountability.
- Just Transition mechanism lacks dedicated funding.
COP30 (Belém) marked a transition from pledges to implementation, strengthened adaptation tracking and thematic actions, but fell short on finance clarity and fossil fuel transitionreinforcing India’s stance on equity, climate justice, and legally binding finance commitments.