Climate change is no longer a distant threat or a matter of scientific debate, it is a harsh and unfolding global reality that continues to challenge human civilization. Around the world, we are witnessing cyclones, heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, food insecurity, health risks and the collapse of ecosystems.
To confront this global crisis, the world’s key platform is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which hosts the annual Conference of the Parties (COP). Each year, world leaders, scientists, civil society organizations and experts gather under this framework. The upcoming COP30 in 2025 is being regarded as one of the most significant yet, as it takes place at a time when progress on the Paris Agreement, emissions reduction, climate finance, technology transfer and the Loss and Damage Fund have all become pressing global questions.
A crucial summit amid Climate uncertainty
Following the momentum from COP28 and COP29, COP30 will be held from November 10–21, 2025, in Belém, a city located on the edge of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Representatives from nearly 200 countries will convene to chart their national pathways for tackling climate crises.
The conference will be presided over by André Corrêa do Lago, Brazil’s Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment. However, the global climate agenda faces new uncertainty after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision in January 2025 to withdraw the United States, once again from the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, sought to limit global temperature rise, keeping it “well below 2°C” above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to cap it at 1.5°C. It also established obligations for developed countries to support developing and vulnerable nations through finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to cope with climate risks, strengthen adaptation, and reduce losses.
The agreement, which came into force in November 2016, set out to cut global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30% by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Yet, scientific analyses and climate assessments reveal that progress has been slow. At the current pace, global warming could reach 2.7°C by 2030, far exceeding the Paris targets.
The global importance of COP30
At its core, COP30 is about keeping the 1.5°C target alive. Studies show that the planet has already warmed by about 1.2°C compared to pre-industrial times. If carbon emissions continue at their current rate, the 1.5°C threshold will soon be breached. Crossing this limit would trigger catastrophic impacts: submerging coastlines, destroying biodiversity, disrupting global food systems, worsening freshwater scarcity, heightening health crises and pandemics and displacing millions of people, turning them into climate refugees.
Therefore, COP30 is expected to serve as a critical platform for nations to adopt science-based emission reduction plans, accelerate the transition to renewable energy, and agree on a timeline to phase out fossil fuels.
Focus on a Just Energy Transition
One of COP30’s most vital agendas will be advancing the Just Energy Transition, a fair and inclusive shift away from fossil fuels. Today, much of the world’s energy still comes from coal, oil, and gas, the main drivers of global warming. Yet, many economies depend heavily on them. Reducing this dependence requires international cooperation, financial support, and technology sharing.
Developed and industrialized countries must not only reduce their own emissions but also assist developing nations in accessing clean technologies and green finance. Although renewable energy adoption is growing, global investment and infrastructure remain uneven. COP30 could mark a strategic turning point in accelerating this transition.
Loss and Damage: Seeking justice for the vulnerable
Another major objective of COP30 will be to ensure operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, a long-awaited mechanism to compensate countries most affected by climate disasters.
For centuries, industrialized nations have fueled their development through massive carbon emissions, while poorer countries like Bangladesh suffer the consequences, cyclones, floods, river erosion, crop losses, water shortages, and coastal destruction.
Although COP28 established the Loss and Damage Fund, key questions remain unresolved: How will it be managed? What will each country’s contribution be? How will funds be distributed? COP30 may finally bring concrete decisions on these issues, a potential historic victory for vulnerable nations.
Why COP30 matters for Bangladesh?
For Bangladesh, COP30 represents a critical opportunity to demand climate justice on the global stage. As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh faces recurrent floods, cyclones, storm surges, salinity intrusion, and agricultural losses. A one-meter rise in sea level could permanently submerge one-third of the country’s coastal areas, displacing millions.
Thus, Bangladesh’s priorities at COP30 will center on securing adaptation funding, Loss and Damage compensation, and equitable climate finance on easier, grant-based terms. The country needs large-scale investment for coastal protection, embankment construction, cyclone shelters, river dredging, salt-tolerant crops, water conservation, and green infrastructure.
At the same time, COP30 offers an opportunity to accelerate Bangladesh’s transition to renewable energy. Despite being one of Asia’s most carbon-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh has expanded solar and wind power, but access to technology and finance remains limited. Decisions on technology transfer, green energy funds, and global carbon trading could play a decisive role in advancing clean energy development.
A Platform for accountability and hope
Ultimately, COP30 is not just another climate conference, it is a platform for global accountability and a fight for the planet’s survival. Developing nations, often marginalized by financial inequity, face the toughest challenges.
The summit’s core mission will be to hold developed countries accountable to their commitments, accelerate emission cuts, expand renewable energy, and ensure economic support for vulnerable nations. Key decisions may include frameworks for technology transfer, carbon market expansion, and green investment facilitation.
For the world, COP30 is a decisive moment; for Bangladesh, it is a fight for survival and justice. Success at COP30 would not just mean another policy agreement, it would represent a collective effort to secure a safer planet for future generations.
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)
