What is COP30 and where and when is it taking place?

World leaders will soon meet for their annual meeting on how to tackle climate change.

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) takes place ten years after the Paris Climate Agreement, in which countries pledged to try to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

COP30 is the 30th annual UN climate meeting, where governments discuss how to mitigate and prepare for climate change.

COP means “Conference of the Parties”. “Parties” refers to the nearly 200 countries that signed the original UN climate agreement in 1992.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) officially begins from Monday, November 10, to Friday, November 21.

World leaders will meet before the summit opens on Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7.

The conference is often overridden as a result of last-minute negotiations to secure a deal acceptable to all participants.

The conference will be held in Brazil for the first time, in Belém in the Amazon rainforest.

The host nation is officially chosen by the participating nations after a nomination from the host region, which tends to rotate – similar to the way the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games tend to hop between continents.

But choosing Belém presented major logistical challenges, due to poor transportation and lack of affordable hotels.

Some delegations faced difficulties in securing accommodation, leading to concerns that poor countries could afford it.

Resolution for Survey of a section of the Amazon rainforest Building a road to be used for the summit has also proven controversial.

Brazil also continued to grant New oil and gas licenses In the run-up to COP30. Oil and gas – along with coal – are fossil fuels, the main cause of global warming.

Representatives from countries around the world are expected to come, but many world leaders have not yet confirmed their attendance.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be there, as well as Prince William, who will be there on behalf of King Charles.

It is unclear what form the American delegation will take.

Shortly after his inauguration in January 2025, President Trump assumed the presidency of the United States It pledged to withdraw from the Paris Agreement This supports the international commitment to address climate change.

This follows a similar move during his first administration in 2017, but the move was immediately reversed on former President Joe Biden’s first day in office in 2021.

China, The largest emitter in the world It is expected that a delegation will be sent to discuss greenhouse gases, but it is unlikely that President Xi Jinping will be present there.

The politicians will be joined by diplomats, journalists and activists.

Previous summits have been criticized for the large number of attendees linked to the coal, oil and gas industries, which activists say shows The continuing influence of fossil fuel advocates.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is being held at a crucial moment when global climate goals are under great pressure.

In Paris in 2015, nearly 200 countries They agreed to try to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above “pre-industrial” levels of the late 19th century, and keeping them “well below” 2 degrees Celsius.

There is very strong scientific evidence to suggest that the impacts of climate change – from extreme heat to sea level rise – will be much greater at 2°C of temperature rise than at 1.5°C of temperature rise.

But while using renewable energy – especially solar energy – is a good thing Growing at a fast paceHowever, the climate plans developed by countries have always fallen short of what is required to achieve the 1.5°C target.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries were supposed to submit updated plans before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) detailing how to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.

but Only a third of countries I did it.

Given how close the target is and how much emissions continue to rise, UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that “going beyond” the 1.5°C target is now inevitable.

He added that he hopes temperatures can be reduced to the 1.5 degree Celsius target by the end of the century.

The United Nations hopes that the COP30 will demonstrate increased commitment to the process set out in the Paris Charter.

Brazil hopes to agree on steps to fulfill the commitments made at previous COPs.

In addition to new plans adopted by countries to reduce carbon, there are many areas that could be discussed.

Fossil fuels

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023, The countries agreed for the first time On the need for a “transition from fossil fuels in energy systems.”

But this language was not strengthened at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in 2024, as many had hoped.

money

At COP29, rich countries committed to giving to developing countries At least $300 billion (about £227 billion) annually by 2035 To help them address climate change. But this is far less than poor countries say they need.

This agreement also included an aspiration to raise this amount to $1.3 trillion from public and private sources, but there were few concrete details about what would be achieved.

Renewable energy

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), countries agreed to triple the global capacity of renewable energy sources – such as wind and solar power – by 2030.

While renewables are expected to grow rapidly, the International Energy Agency says the world is not currently on track to achieve this goal.

nature

Among the new developments is the launch of the Forever Tropical Forest Facility – a fund aimed at preventing the loss of tropical forests.

Achieving a major step forward seems difficult this year, especially because of the influence of the Trump administration.

In a Speech to the United Nations in SeptemberThe US President described climate change as “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated in the world,” and wrongly attacked the overwhelming scientific evidence of rising temperatures.

He also pledged to do so Enhancing oil and gas exploration operations And backing away from the green initiatives put in place by his predecessors.

Consensus has been difficult to reach in other environmental talks in 2025, such as attempts to reach a first global plastics treaty in August, which It collapsed for the second time.

In October a Landmark agreement to reduce global shipping emissions It was postponed after pressure from the United States and some other countries.

Some observers, such as activist Greta Thunberg, have accused previous COPs of “greenwashing” – that is, allowing countries and companies to boost their climate credentials without actually making the necessary changes.

But important global agreements have been reached at COP sessions, allowing greater progress than on national measures per se.

Despite the difficulties in meeting the 1.5°C global warming limit agreed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, the commitment has led to “near-global climate action”, according to the UN.

This has helped reduce the level of global warming expected – even though the world is still not moving at the pace needed to meet the Paris goals.