Belém, the Brazilian Amazon city, has become the global epicenter of climate action these weeks. From last Monday until November 21, the capital of the state of Pará hosts the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This event represents a key moment to promote mobilization and dialogue between countries around the global environmental agenda, offering a unique opportunity for the international community to reaffirm its commitment to the future of the planet.
Tensions, challenges and hopes
However, the atmosphere at COP30 is marked by lights and shadows. The European Union,traditionally at the forefront of the fight against climate change, comes to the meeting with less ambitious goals than those agreed in the Paris Agreement ten years ago. For its part, the withdrawal of the United States from the treaty at the time and its absence from the Summit represents a setback for the progress made, slowing the pace of emissions reduction globally.
The international context adds even more complexity, with armed conflicts in different parts of the planet, growing trade disputes, budgetary restrictions and the rise of populist movements that call into question green policies. All these factors complicate the search for consensus and effective commitments to reverse the climate crisis.
However, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has launched a resounding message, the objective of limiting the increase in global temperature to 1.5 °C with respect to pre-industrial levels seems increasingly unattainable. In the same sense, shortly before the official start of the Summit, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published its latest annual report, in which it warns that the current commitments of governments are not enough on their own to stop the advance of global warming.
Urgent warnings and worrying figures
Furthermore, this year, the Belém Summit acquires special relevance, as almost a decade has passed since the historic Paris Agreement, whose purpose was to keep the temperature increase below 2 °C, and ideally not exceeding the threshold of 1.5 °C. However, reality is far from these objectives. Secorn UNEP projections, even if current commitments were fully implemented, global average temperature will increaseYobetween 2.3 and 2.5 °C by the end of the century. If only current policies are considered, the forecast rises to 2.8 °C, a slight improvement over añor earlier, butorn insufficient.
The report highlights that, to align with the objectives of 2 °C and 1.5 °C, beYoIt is necessary to reduce annual emissions by 35 % and 55 % respectively. However, the new commitments have barely slowed the pace of warming, keeping the planet on a path of risks and givingñI climate youtogrowing titics.
The presummit
The importance of the event has been evident from the beginning. Nearly 50 heads of State and Government met in Belém, with the aim of reaffirming the global commitment to climate change. However, the absence of the United States has raised questions about the future of the negotiations, especially in a context marked by the urgency of advancing the commitments made in the historic Paris Agreement, a decade ago.
The two-day pre-Summit meeting served as a prelude to the annual UN climate negotiations. Despite the notable European representation, powers such as China and India chose to send lower-profile delegations, reflecting the unequal weight that some countries give to this event.
Beyond the renewal of promises, the Belém Summit seeks to transform political will into concrete actions. Experts and observers agree that the main challenge will be to reach binding agreements to limit global warming and guarantee the necessary financing for the ecological transition, especially in the most vulnerable countries.