November 12th 2025.
The UN climate talks, also known as the Conference of Parties (COP), have kicked off in Brazil on November 10th. This is the 30th installment of the conference, with almost every country being represented by a delegation of 50,000. The conference is set to run until November 21st.
Notably absent from the event is the administration of US President Donald Trump. However, the White House has assured that high-level representatives will still be present at the summit. It's hard to forget that just a decade ago, the Paris Agreement was signed and raised a glimmer of hope in the battle against climate change. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm has since diminished. One of the agreement's main objectives was to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, we are now on the brink of exceeding that limit, with 2025 being projected as one of the hottest years in history.
As the world's second-largest emitter of CO2, the US is set to withdraw from the Paris Agreement under the leadership of President Trump, who has publicly ridiculed the very idea of combating climate change. In a recent speech at the United Nations, he went as far as to call the global initiative to reduce carbon emissions and move away from fossil fuels as "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world." Not content with weakening international climate action, he is now attempting to sway other countries to join his denial. In the face of such a bleak reality, the challenge for this COP is to send a clear message that despite the betrayal by Trump, the fight against climate change will not lose momentum. The summit must convey that commitments will be honored, promises of funding will be kept, and the shift towards low-carbon energy sources must begin immediately. It is crucial that these efforts remain steadfast and not be derailed by the actions of one temporary politician, no matter how powerful they may be. Of course, there are obstacles in the form of shifting budget priorities towards rearmament due to global tensions and the slowing down of climate diplomacy in the absence of strong global leadership.
The European Union, which has been the only major bloc to successfully reduce its CO2 emissions in 2024, is now facing a decline in determination. Growing populist pressure and the threat of Russia, along with the ongoing war in Ukraine, have weakened its resolve to implement anti-climate change policies. This has also affected China's willingness to take over the lead from the US and guide the world in the fight against climate change. China's insistence on being considered a developing country in order to minimize its responsibilities shows that it is no longer willing to be at the forefront of the energy transition. In this situation, Brazil, the host of COP30, has a crucial role to play. With its experience in environmental diplomacy, Brazil can rally willing countries to commit to multilateralism and bridge the gap between the Global South and North. However, Brazil itself is facing a dilemma as it balances its climate commitments with its growing ambitions in oil extraction. Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has called for a "fair plan to reverse deforestation, move away from fossil fuels, and mobilize the necessary resources." Unfortunately, that promise has yet to be fulfilled.
World leaders must come to terms with the fact that the fight against climate change is no longer a hypothetical scenario but a harsh reality, as evidenced by the recent deaths and devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, as well as Typhoon Fung Wong in Asia, which claimed over 200 lives in the Philippines and Vietnam. Initial studies have shown that the five-day rainfall in Jamaica was made twice as likely by higher temperatures. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness estimates that the damage in his country is equivalent to one-third of the GDP. This should serve as a wake-up call, as pretending that there is no imminent danger, as the fossil fuel industry and its latest champion, President Trump, are doing, is nothing but a death wish.
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