COP30 begins in Brazil,India to showcase clean energy progress

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference, or COP30, will begin in Belém, Brazil on Monday, with hopes it will be a turning point for the Global South. Talks will focus on implementing the Paris Agreement, climate finance, and adaptation plans, as countries move from promises to action. This is the first COP where the full Paris policy cycle is in effect.

India will highlight its clean energy progress, having reached its 50% non-fossil power target ahead of schedule, while pushing for practical adaptation indicators. Brazil’s presidency has urged nations to “shift from negotiation to delivery.” The summit also saw the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility to reward forest conservation, with India joining as an observer. Scientists warn the 1.5°C limit will be temporarily breached, adding urgency to global climate action.

It’s now been more than 30 years that countries have been getting together to deliberate on a coordinated global response to climate change. While thousands of climate-positive actions have been initiated as a result, these have so far had minimal impact on arresting the steady rise of global temperatures. Emissions of greenhouse gases, the primary driver of global warming, are still on the rise. And, at the current pace of climate action, the world cannot even pretend to get anywhere close to a 2030 target of reducing emissions by 43 per cent on 2019 levels.