Belem: Brazil’s president of the UN COP30 conference has expressed a desire for this year’s event to signal a new phase of global advancement in addressing climate change, anticipating that countries will propose more ambitious carbon reduction strategies. This year’s COP30, set in the Amazonian city of Belem, coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. However, it follows the second withdrawal of the United States from the pivotal agreement and ongoing global challenges in tackling climate change and other shared threats.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Andre Correa do Lago, a seasoned climate diplomat appointed to lead the November COP30 conference, acknowledged the significant global challenges, including geopolitical tensions and record-high global temperatures. In his second communication to the nearly 200 nations expected to participate in COP30, Correa do Lago urged the international community to mobilize urgently in response to the climate crisis.
He emphasized the potential for the conference to act as an inflection point in transitioning towards a new era of sustainable and inclusive prosperity. Several major economies are in the process of finalizing their climate plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which were initially due earlier this year but are now anticipated to be submitted to the UN ahead of COP30.
These commitments are required to be updated every five years, yet few countries have submitted their 2035 plans timely, with prominent greenhouse gas emitters such as China and the European Union among those delayed. “Everybody seems very committed to advance in developing their NDCs, and I believe that by September, we’re going to have a very significant number of countries presenting it,” Correa do Lago stated to reporters.
Speaking on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting in Copenhagen in preparation for the November 10 to 21 COP30 talks, Correa do Lago described the atmosphere as positive. Ana Toni, CEO of the COP, noted that countries’ climate commitments had evolved significantly, with more comprehensive economic inclusions.
Following the US withdrawal from climate cooperation under President Donald Trump, attention has shifted to other major carbon emitters. Last month, President Xi Jinping declared that China would not decelerate its climate efforts and pledged to unveil its 2035 commitments before COP30, covering the entire economy and all greenhouse gases for the first time.
The European Commission has proposed a 90 percent reduction in emissions by 2040 compared to 1990 levels, but approval has been delayed due to some member states arguing that the target is too ambitious. In his letter, Correa do Lago warned against confronting “new crises with outdated strategies,” which may overlook advancements in science, technology, and society.
He further expressed a desire for COP30 to expand climate action beyond negotiations and to “shift the trajectory of humanity’s relationship with the planet.”