WHAT ABOUT COP30? What happened and what’s next?

The COP – or ‘Conference of the Parties’ – is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In November 2025, COP30 took place in Belém, Brazil – the thirtieth of these annual meetings and a milestone marking ten years since the Paris Agreement. As with many COPs, reactions to the final outcomes were mixed.

In this episode, James and Daisy reflect on COP30 and look ahead to what comes next. What were the most significant outcomes? What is the plan for COP31? How might the COP process itself be reformed?

SOME RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Mutirão Decision – The central outcome text from COP30. “Mutirão,” a term from the Tupi-Guarani language meaning “collective efforts,” was adopted by the COP30 Presidency as the guiding theme to inspire global climate action.
• Inside COP – A special edition of the Outrage + Optimism podcast, created in partnership with the COP30 Presidency, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes insights from the negotiations.

OTHER ADVOCATES AND RESOURCES:

• Carbon Brief (2025) – A clear summary of COP30 outcomes, including the agreement to triple adaptation finance by 2035 and the establishment of a just transition mechanism. Although more than 80 countries supported a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, the final text did not include such a reference.
• NDC Tracker – A live tracker showing which countries have submitted updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• WRI (2025) – An analysis of COP30’s achievements and shortfalls. By the close of the conference, 119 countries — representing 74% of global emissions — had submitted new NDCs. While these reflect progress, together they deliver less than 15% of the emissions reductions needed by 2035 to keep warming to 1.5°C.
• UNEP (2025) – Current projections estimate global warming of 2.3–2.5°C if all NDCs are fully implemented, and around 2.8°C based on current policies. Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement ten years ago, temperature predictions have fallen from 3-3.5°C.
• The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative – In response to the absence of fossil fuel language in the COP30 text, Colombia and the Netherlands announced they will co-host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, to be held 28–29 April 2026 in Santa Marta, Colombia — a key coal-exporting port city.
• UNFCCC (2025) – Türkiye will host COP31, including the World Leaders’ Summit. The Pre-COP will be hosted in a Pacific Island country, supported by Australia. A representative of Türkiye will serve as COP31 President-Designate from the close of COP30, with an Australian representative appointed as President of Negotiations.
• IISD (2015) – Background on the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), launched in 2009 to foster candid dialogue among major emitters and build political momentum for climate action.

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Music: “Just Because Some Bad Wind Blows” by Nick Nuttall, Reptiphon Records. Available at https://nicknuttallmusic.bandcamp.com/album/just-because-some-bad-wind-blows-3

Producer: Podshop Studios

Huge thanks to Siobhán Foster, a vital member of the team offering design advice, critical review and organisation that we depend upon.

Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on navigating the transition away from fossil fuels to a sustainable future.