On 10 November 2025, the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) officially began in Belém, a city nestled at the edge of the Amazon in Brazil. The 11-day summit, inaugurated on Monday, will continue until 21 November.
The journey of the Conference of the Parties (COP) dates back to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The first COP was held in Berlin, Germany, in 1995. Now, three decades later, the 30th session has returned to Latin American soil.
Belém is not only geographically significant, being located near the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, known as the “lungs of the Earth” but also symbolically powerful as the host city.
However, the oppressive heat in Belém has caused discomfort for many delegates. A brief spell of rain brought some relief to the weary city. The weather itself serves as a reminder that forest protection, ecosystem conservation and sustainable development are not side issues but central to global climate policy.
Holding COP30 in the heart of the Amazon is not a mere symbolic gesture; it represents a historic moment for finding practical, science-based and sustainable solutions to an escalating global crisis. The official theme for COP30 is “Global Mutirão,” a local Indigenous term meaning “collective effort.”
Key Issues on the table
From the very first day, discussions have revolved around limiting global temperature rise, cutting carbon emissions rapidly, phasing out fossil fuel dependence, ensuring transparent and fair climate finance and operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund for vulnerable nations.
Developing countries have strongly demanded climate justice, enhanced adaptation funding and a concrete framework for technology transfer. Meanwhile, developed countries revisited past finance pledges and plans to phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
In the afternoon, the official COP30 agenda was adopted. However, some observers warned that critical issues like climate finance might once again be sidelined.
During the opening plenary, Tuvalu’s Minister for Climate, Maina Vakafua Talia, said: “The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and Trump’s denial of climate science remain a shameful and dismissive act toward the rest of the world.”
Pakistan’s Climate Secretary, Ayesha Humaira, added: “The climate crisis is the biggest human rights violation of our time.”
The United States delegation was notably absent on the first day, with no government officials or media outlets in attendance. Meanwhile, a group of 25 UN special envoys issued a joint statement urging full compliance with international law, warning that any deviation could erode global trust in the entire UN-led COP process.
A “Delivery-Focused” COP
For the first time, COP is being branded as a “delivery-focused COP” meaning it aims not just for promises but tangible actions with clear timelines. The ongoing discussions suggest that this summit could mark a new era of climate policy and global cooperation.
A key breakthrough could be the activation of the Loss and Damage Fund, a compensation mechanism for vulnerable nations.
André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s veteran climate diplomat and President of COP30, inaugurated the summit, promising that “Belém will be the COP of truth.”
He stated: “The COP process is evolving, but we must move faster. Ten years ago, the Paris Agreement was conceived at a time when projections showed global temperatures rising beyond 4°C. We have managed to slow that path but we must work harder to reduce it further.”
However, despite progress, the 2023 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling which recognized climate change as a matter of international legal obligation has yet to be fully integrated into the COP agenda. The “Just Energy Transition” discussion, central to the COP28 in Dubai, may face challenges in being adopted as a formally binding agenda item.
Global Contradictions: The Greece example
In a contrasting move, the Greek government recently signed a deal to begin offshore fossil fuel drilling west of Corfu Island in the Ionian Sea, expected to start in early 2027.
Dimitris Karavelas, Director of WWF Greece, criticized the decision: “At a time when science demands the end of fossil fuels, the Greek government stands with oil corporations, not the planet. Approving drilling in a biodiversity hotspot and a tourism pillar is not just disappointing it’s short-sighted and out of sync with the times.”
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis defended the deal, calling it key to the country’s future energy security, while U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright hailed it as “historic” and praised Greece as a “reliable ally.”
Soil: The overlooked carbon sink
According to a 2021 FAO study, soil is the world’s second-largest carbon sink after the ocean. Yet, most countries continue to neglect this potential.
A new UN report released yesterday revealed that around 70% of nations have not included soil management as a tool for climate mitigation in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
A new analysis by the Save Soil global movement found that restoring soil health could deliver 27% of the emission reductions required to keep global warming below 2°C by 2100. Sustainable farming practices could cut fertilizer-related emissions by up to 80% by 2050.
Bangladesh’s role and expectations
On Day two, after agenda approval, core discussions will center on climate finance, adaptation fund expansion and the roadmap for implementing the Global Stocktake (GST). Developing and climate-vulnerable nations, including Bangladesh, are expected to strongly advocate for financial assistance and technology transfer.
For Bangladesh, facing sea-level rise, coastal erosion, salinity intrusion and cyclone threats, access to adaptation finance is critical.
The UAE-hosted annual dialogue begins tomorrow, while several side events today will bring together youth delegates, local governments and environmental organizations to push for climate justice, loss and damage funding, and biodiversity protection.
Bangladeshi government officials, NGO representatives and journalists have already joined the summit. The Bangladesh Pavilion is planning several bilateral meetings, while broader discussions will also focus on forest conservation, renewable energy transition and global emission reduction pledges.
Overall, expectations are high that COP30 will move beyond paper pledges toward real implementation, marking a turning point in the global fight against the climate crisis.
Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, Dean, Faculty of Science. Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh. He is also Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA); Chairman, Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies (CAPS).
