The world’s longest-running climate conference is in its 30th year. But what is COP 30? Get up to speed in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
What is COP?
Every country in the world has signed up to a United Nations treaty about reducing emissions to fight climate change. COP is a yearly meeting about the work arising from that treaty. It’s an opportunity to:
- look at emissions-cutting progress so far; and
- make decisions on climate policy for the future.
When and where is COP 30?
It runs from 10 November to 21 November 2025 – so just over a fortnight. This year the host country is Brazil and it’s being held in the Amazon rainforest.
What does COP stand for?
When countries sign a binding international treaty, they create a body to manage progress towards the goals of that treaty. That body is called a Conference of the Parties (COP). When we talk about COP 30 and its predecessors, the international treaty in question is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, (UNFCCC), signed in 1992.
Why is COP 30 controversial?
Hosting a COP event puts a country’s environmental and human rights record under the spotlight, which often results in criticism. COP 28 and COP 29 were criticised for taking place in countries where oil is important to the economy.
This year’s location in the heart of the Amazon rainforest has been described by the Brazilian president as “an opportunity for politicians, diplomats, scientists, activists and journalists to witness the reality of the Amazon.” Unfortunately, creating this opportunity involved building a four-lane road right through the Amazon to improve access to the city of Belém. This means cutting down trees and paving over wetlands. There are also plans to double the capacity of the nearest airport.
There are also concerns about the cost of accommodation, which could exclude delegates from poorer countries.
What do people want from COP 30?
Each participant will have their own agenda, but the focus of host country Brazil is on implementation: actually delivering on the pledges made at previous COPs. These pledges include:
- Tripling renewable energy capacity globally by 2030
- Transitioning away from fossil fuels
- Accelerating the reduction of other greenhouse gases, like methane
What happened to the Paris Agreement?
The Paris Agreement was a 2015 pledge to cut emissions to limit the damage caused by climate change as much as possible. The binding objective was to keep warming well below 2°C, but the hope was to stay below 1.5°C. Sadly, in the run up to the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, news broke that we have already overshot the 1.5°C target. The Secretary-General of the UN called it “a red line for humanity”.
The Paris Agreement is still in force. 2023 saw a “Global Stocktake” at COP 28 to assess progress on the Paris Agreement’s targets. COP 30 will deal with implementing the recommendations of that stocktake.
Should we take COP 30 seriously?
The point of COPs is to bring about substantial emissions cuts as quickly as possible. Yet global emissions today are much higher than when the COP meetings began in 1992. Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva acknowledges this: “At every climate conference, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments.” He is determined to make COP 30 “the COP of truth” where countries demonstrate serious commitment.
COP 30 takes place from 10 November to 21 November 2025. Our Energy Advice Hub editors will be keeping an eye on announcements, so stay tuned.
