COP30: Key Takeaways from a Divisive Climate Summit in Brazil

Sun Nov 23 2025 07:20:53 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, revealed significant divides among nations regarding fossil fuel policies and collective action on climate change, ultimately highlighting the challenges the global community faces in achieving consensus.

The COP30 summit ended without a consensus on fossil fuels, exposing deep divisions among nations. While Brazil aimed for a more comprehensive agenda, many countries expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of firm commitments. The discussions also illuminated the shifting power dynamics in climate negotiations, with the roles of major emitters like the US and China, trade issues, and the overall effectiveness of COP processes coming under scrutiny.

In three decades of these meetings aimed at forging global consensus on how to prevent and deal with global warming, this will go down as among the most divisive.

Many countries were livid when COP30 in Belém, Brazil, ended on Saturday with no mention of the fossil fuels that have heated up the atmosphere. Other nations - particularly those with most to gain from their continued production - felt vindicated.

The summit was a reality check on just how much global consensus has broken down over what to do about climate change.

Here are five key takeaways from what some have called the COP of truth.

Brazil - Not Their Finest Hour

The most important thing to come out of COP30 is that the climate 'ship' is still afloat. But many participants are unhappy that they didn't get anything close to what they wanted.

Despite warmth for Brazil and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, there is frustration with the way they ran the meeting. There seemed to be a gulf between what President Lula wanted to achieve and what COP president André Corrêa do Lago felt was possible.

EU Had a Bad COP

This COP has not been the European Union's finest hour. They backed themselves into a corner on another aspect of the agreement that they eventually couldn't escape.

The idea of tripling money for climate adaptation was in the early text and survived into the final draft. However, when the EU tried to press for a fossil fuel roadmap, they had little leverage to negotiate back.

Future of COP in Question

Many participants questioned the future relevance of COP, observing that it seems far removed from the real lives of billions of people. Activists are advocating for changes to make COP processes more effective and relevant in today's context.

Trade Comes in from the Cold

Global trade emerged as a key issue at COP30. This was linked to the EU's plans to implement a border tax on high-carbon products, leading to tensions with major trading partners. A future dialogue on trade is now part of ongoing discussions.

Trump Gains by Staying Away - China Gains by Staying Quiet

Both the US and China played significant roles, albeit in contrasting manners. Trump's absence appeared to embolden allies resistant to change, while China's quietude allowed them to focus on economic deals.

These key takeaways from COP30 highlight the complicated landscape of global climate negotiations, underscoring the need for renewed strategies and a cooperative approach to achieving meaningful and sufficient action on climate change.