World leaders will convene for their annual meeting on climate change, COP30. This event takes place ten years after the Paris Agreement, where countries aimed to restrict the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.
Understanding COP30
COP30 is the 30th annual UN climate meeting, where governments discuss strategies to limit and prepare for further climate change. COP stands for "Conference of the Parties," referring to the nearly 200 countries that signed the original UN climate agreement in 1992.
Schedule and Location
COP30 is officially scheduled to run from Monday, November 10, to Friday, November 21. World leaders are expected to gather on Thursday, November 6, and Friday, November 7, before the summit opens. The conference has a history of extending beyond its scheduled end date due to ongoing negotiations.
The conference is being held in Brazil for the first time, in Belém in the Amazon rainforest. The host nation is selected by participating countries following a nomination from the host region, which typically rotates. The choice of Belém has presented logistical challenges, including transport links and hotel availability. Some delegations have reported difficulties securing accommodation. A section of the Amazon rainforest was cleared to build a road for the summit. Brazil has also continued to grant new oil and gas licenses prior to COP30. Oil, gas, and coal are fossil fuels and a primary cause of global warming.
Participants
Representatives from countries globally are expected, though many world leaders have not yet confirmed their attendance. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will attend, as will Prince William, representing King Charles. The composition of the US delegation is undetermined. In January 2025, President Trump stated an intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement; a similar action during his first administration in 2017 was reversed by President Joe Biden in 2021. China, identified as the world's largest emitter of planet-warming gases, is expected to send a delegation, but President Xi Jinping is not anticipated to attend. Politicians, diplomats, journalists, and campaigners will be present. Previous summits have included attendees connected to the coal, oil, and gas industries.
Significance of COP30
COP30 occurs as global climate targets face significant challenges. In Paris in 2015, nearly 200 countries agreed to aim for limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C above "pre-industrial" levels (late 1800s) and to keep them "well below" 2C. Scientific evidence indicates that the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat and sea-level rise, would be greater at 2C than at 1.5C.
While the use of renewable energy, particularly solar power, is increasing rapidly, countries' climate plans have consistently fallen short of the requirements needed to meet the 1.5C goal. Under the Paris Agreement, countries were expected to submit updated plans for reducing planet-warming gas emissions before COP30; however, only one-third of countries have done so. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has indicated that "overshooting" the 1.5C target is now considered inevitable, expressing hope that temperatures could still be brought back down to the 1.5C target by the end of the century. The UN anticipates that COP30 will demonstrate an increased commitment to the process outlined in the Paris Agreement. Global warming is associated with stronger winds and heavier rainfall in hurricanes.
Key Discussion Areas
Brazil aims to secure agreement on steps to fulfill commitments made at previous COPs. Discussions may include new carbon-cutting plans and other areas.
Fossil Fuels
At COP28 in 2023, countries acknowledged the need to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems." This language was not strengthened at COP29 in 2024.
Climate Finance
At COP29, richer countries committed to providing developing nations at least $300 billion (approximately £227 billion) annually by 2035 to assist with climate change initiatives. This amount is less than what poorer countries have indicated they require. The agreement also included an aspiration to increase this to $1.3 trillion from public and private sources, but specific details on how this will be achieved are limited.
Renewables
At COP28, countries agreed to treble the global capacity of renewables, such as wind and solar, by 2030. While rapid growth in renewables is projected, the International Energy Agency states that the world is currently not on track to meet that goal.
Nature
A potential development is the launch of the "Tropical Forests Forever Facility," a fund aimed at preventing the loss of tropical forests. A healthy Amazon rainforest is noted as a buffer against rising temperatures.
Potential Impact of COP30
Achieving a major step forward at COP30 is considered challenging. US President Trump stated in a September UN speech that climate change is the "greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world," and he has pledged to increase oil and gas drilling and reverse environmental initiatives.
Reaching consensus has also proven difficult in other environmental talks in 2025, such as attempts to finalize a global plastics treaty in August, which collapsed for a second time. In October, a deal to reduce global shipping emissions was postponed following pressure from the US and other countries. Some observers, including campaigner Greta Thunberg, have described previous COPs as "greenwashing," suggesting that climate credentials are promoted without corresponding substantive changes.
Despite these difficulties, significant global agreements have been reached at COP sessions, contributing to greater progress than national measures alone. The 1.5C warming limit from COP21 in Paris has driven "near-universal climate action," according to the UN, which has helped to lower the anticipated level of warming, even though the current pace of action is not sufficient to achieve the Paris goals.