Geopolitics, Backsliding, and Progress at COP30 Climate Talks
As climate change intensifies, some countries are retreating from climate commitments. Next week, negotiators will convene in Brazil to revive global momentum. I will join delegates worldwide at the United Nations COP30 summit in Belém, a city in the Brazilian Amazon. Many, including myself, are uncertain about the outcomes.
This summit faces significant challenges, perhaps the toughest in recent years. In the United States, the Trump administration has cut funding for climate science, halted renewable energy projects, increased fossil fuel extraction, and exited the Paris Agreement once more. These actions have created intense geopolitical instability, overshadowing the primary global platform for climate coordination even as the crisis deepens.
Last year saw average global temperatures rise above 1.5°C for the first time. Climate-driven disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, with heatwaves, wildfires, and floods impacting most continents this year.
Every country demands a voice, leading to conflicting interests. Petrostates and major fossil fuel exporters aim to maintain extraction, while Pacific island nations watch helplessly as sea levels rise. Without a global authority to govern climate policy, these imperfect talks remain the best means to align commitments toward real progress.
Key Issues to Watch at COP30
- Efforts to restore stalled climate action amid geopolitical tensions.
- Balancing interests between fossil fuel-producing countries and vulnerable nations.
- Strengthening commitments to contain global warming and support disaster resilience.
“Trump’s efforts to hamstring climate action have made for extreme geopolitical turbulence, overshadowing the world’s main forum for coordinating climate action – even as the problem worsens.”
Author’s summary: Despite geopolitical hurdles and backsliding by major powers, COP30 offers a critical platform where nations can renew climate commitments and address escalating environmental crises.