{"id":5530,"date":"2025-11-25T08:25:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T08:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.powershiftafrica.org\/in-the-news\/cop30-outcomes-baby-steps-in-the-right-direction-failure-to-rise-to-the-occasion"},"modified":"2026-10-28T08:49:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T08:49:53","slug":"cop30-outcomes-baby-steps-in-the-right-direction-failure-to-rise-to-the-occasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/in-the-news\/cop30-outcomes-baby-steps-in-the-right-direction-failure-to-rise-to-the-occasion\/","title":{"rendered":"COP30 outcomes: Baby steps in the right direction, failure to rise to the occasion"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ghastly warnings from science. Daily storms and sweltering heat in the Amazon. Long-drawn-out negotiations. A slippery geopolitical environment. A long shadow cast by the absence of the United States. A lobbyists\u2019 playground. And a fire. COP30 in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil, had all the ingredients of high drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-week event began with a reminder of what the world must do to save humanity and protect the planet: more. More finance. More accountability. More unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, the Paris Agreement is \u2018\u2018working to deliver real progress\u201d in the world. UN climate chief Simon Stiell, however, beseeched world nations to \u201cstrive valiantly for more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, that courage to do more was lacking in the outcome as Parties failed to agree on a roadmap to guide the phaseout of fossil fuels, deliver finance for adaptation, and renew their commitment to cutting emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what stood out about this COP? What were the hits, the misses, and the lessons? In this blog, we will analyse what climate justice experts from around the world said about the summit outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While acknowledging the fractured geopolitical atmosphere that hung above the talks in Bel\u00e9m, the director of Power Shift Africa, Mohamed Adow, noted: \u2018\u2018COP30 gave us some baby steps in the right direction, but considering the scale of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roadmap to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As negotiations grew more intense and the clock ticked to the end, the European Union and the UK insisted that the final deal must include language on transitioning away from fossil fuels. The countries vowed to reject any deal without the roadmap that had been proposed by Brazil as one of the key pillars of the Bel\u00e9m package. Last week, more than 80 countries threw their weight behind the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, a coalition of oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia, said any mention of fossil fuel was \u2018\u2018off-limits\u2019\u2019 even as China, India and Russia rejected the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To prevent the talks from collapsing, the EU agreed on Saturday morning not to block a final deal. Said EU\u2019s climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra: \u2018\u2018We support (the deal) because at least it is going in the right direction.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reacting to the outcome, Mohamed Adow, however, observed that rich countries cannot make a genuine call for a roadmap \u2018\u2018if they continue to drive in the opposite direction themselves and refuse to pay up for the vehicles they stole from the rest of the convoy.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delayed a Decade: Adaptation Finance\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bel\u00e9m restored some integrity to the Global Goal on Adaptation, removing dangerous indicators that would have penalised poorer countries simply for being poor. Finance negotiations, however, were characterised by worrisome sluggishness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018The promise to triple adaptation lacks clarity on a base year and has now been delayed to 2035, leaving vulnerable countries without support to match the escalating needs frontline communities are facing.\u202fAs it stands, this outcome does nothing to narrow the adaptation finance gap,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> argued Mohamed Adow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saada Mohamed agreed, noting that COP30 \u2018\u2018tripled trouble\u2019\u2019 for adaptation finance, signalling an uncertain future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018This year\u2019s summit was particularly unique as it aimed to shift the focus of the multilateral process from negotiation to urgent and scalable implementation, including for adaptation,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> Saada said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added: \u2018\u2018The Presidency equated global climate adaptation as the first half of survival and a critical component of human evolution that can no longer be deemed as secondary to mitigation nor considered an alternative to development.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This political elevation and early wins for adaptation were, however, short-lived, as they failed to translate into a strong outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bel\u00e9m political package \u2018\u2018calls for efforts to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035\u2019\u2019<\/em> and \u2018\u2018urges developed country Parties to increase the trajectory of their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing country Parties.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018The weak language sets the worst precedence in the history of the negotiations by failing to specifically refer to the legal mandate of rich countries to provide public finance for adaptation. Consequently, it further marginalises adaptation action and the voices of vulnerable countries,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> Saada noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BAMtastic: Wins for the Just Transition\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the green shoots to emerge from COP30 was the creation of a Just Transition Action Mechanism, a breakthrough that civil society, workers, and frontline communities fought hard for, said Adow. \u2018\u2018This recognises that the global move away from fossil fuels will not abandon workers and frontline communities.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The executive director of CAN International said this outcome \u2018\u2018didn\u2019t fall out of the sky.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> Rather, the win was shaped by years of pressure from civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018It was carved out through struggle, persistence, and the moral clarity of those living on the frontlines of climate breakdown. Governments must now honour this Just Transition mechanism with real action,\u2019\u2019 <\/em><\/strong>said Tasneem, warning that anything less would be to betray people \u2013 and of the promise of Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior campaigner at Power Shift Africa, Karabo Mokgonyana, too, welcomed the Bel\u00e9m outcome, saying it had \u2018\u2018finally grounded just transition in\u202fjustice\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> by recognising equity, inclusivity, and the developmental needs of workers and communities, not just sectors or technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018The outcome signals the first real steps toward what could evolve into a\u202fJust Transition Action Mechanism, by outlining concrete areas of support rather than leaving the concept abstract or aspirational,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> she wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe\u2019s Betrayal of the Global South<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation said the European Union had a chance to lead in the US\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018Instead, they stepped into the vacuum as the primary obstructionist, playing a cynical blame game while the planet burns,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> Harjeet said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While noting that the world has the architecture to address the crisis, he argued that rich nations were setting the Global South up \u2018\u2018to fight an inferno with a water pistol\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> by withholding the finance to power the transition, which is a betrayal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Adow, COP30 was supposed to have a big focus on raising funds to help vulnerable nations adapt to climate change, before European nations undermined the talks and stripped away the protections poor countries were seeking in Bel\u00e9m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018Europe, which colonised much of the Global South and then imperilled it further through its industrialised carbon emissions, now works against even efforts to help it adapt to the climate crisis,\u2019\u2019 said Adow.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite calling themselves climate leaders, developed countries of the Global North betrayed their climate-vulnerable developing counterparts, said Adow. \u2018\u2018They failed to deliver science-aligned national emission reduction plans, but also blocked talks on finance to help poor countries adapt to climate change caused by themselves.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unilateral Trade Measures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was a major talking point at COP30, both at the presidency level and in negotiations. For many people following the climate talks, however, it was likely a new phrase. But what are they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unilateral trade measures are actions a country takes on its own to restrict or alter trade without the agreement of other countries, often outside of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. Imposing tariffs, sanctions, or embargoes are some of the UTMs countries can take to protect domestic industries, punish unfair practices, or advance climate goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some parties view these measures as counterproductive to developing economies, as they create imbalances in decarbonising the global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karabo said COP30 yielded \u2018\u2018a well-balanced diplomatic position\u2019\u2019 that recognises the clash between trade and development. \u2018\u2018The outcome acknowledges rising global tensions around climate-related trade policies like CBAM. Importantly, it reminds developed countries not to impose measures that undermine developing countries\u2019 growth pathways.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paragraphs 55 and 56 of the Mutir\u00e3o <\/em>outcome stress that climate action must operate within a supportive, open, and fair international economic system. It also cautions against unilateral climate-linked trade restrictions becoming arbitrary, unjustifiable discrimination or disguised barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parties also agreed to hold three dialogues at the subsidiary bodies (SBs) on enhancing international cooperation on the subject and to report the outcomes at a high-level event in 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender Action Plan Finally Agreed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agreeing a gender action plan to mainstream women\u2019s experiences in climate action and make climate policy more inclusive was one of the most anticipated outcomes at COP30. At one point, however, countries clashed over the definition of gender, with hardline conservative states pushing to define gender as \u201cbiological sex\u201d while excluding trans and non-binary people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was met with fierce opposition from gender rights advocates, who argued that this would erode progress made over the years. \u201cThere are some countries that want to push us back to 30 years ago. But we will not accept anything less than what we already have,\u201d remarked Lorena Aguilar of Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for\u202fWomen\u202fand Girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The talks ended successfully, highlighting several essential elements, including the use of disaggregated data and gender analysis for decision-making and collaboration among gender, climate change, and other relevant actors to advance gender-responsive climate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender enthusiasts say the call to integrate gender in national climate policies and plans, as well as reporting and communications under the UNFCCC, will help to ensure there is accountability for implementing these commitments across the different streams of climate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loss and Damage\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harjeet observed that the institutional framework for Loss and Damage is now \u2018\u2018fit for purpose\u2019\u2019 stating, though: \u2018\u2018A system cannot rebuild a home without money. Bureaucratic pledges cannot feed a family whose crops have failed.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final agreement, he insisted, should have sent a clear instruction to the historical polluters to act urgently. That is, \u2018\u2018to put hundreds of billions into the new Loss and Damage Fund in grants, not loans, to survive the wreckage caused by two centuries of their reckless emissions.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall? There\u2019s general satisfaction with the Bel\u00e9m package among diverse experts globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Said Adow: \u2018\u2018Even though COP30 didn\u2019t achieve what we hoped, the very fact that fossil fuels, trade, and the needs of the vulnerable were on the agenda is welcome. These are urgent, real-world issues that will not go away until action is taken.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adow noted that while COP30 kept the process alive, \u2018\u2018process alone\u2019\u2019 will not cool the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018\u2018Roadmaps and workplans will mean nothing unless they now translate into real finance and real action for the countries bearing the brunt of the crisis,\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong> he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Said Harjeet: \u2018\u2018We leave Bel\u00e9m with a historic victory for people power, but a devastating failure of political will from the Global North to deliver climate ambition and finance.\u2019\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What stood out about this COP? What were the hits, the misses, and the lessons? In this blog, we analyse what climate justice experts from around the world said about the COP30 outcomes.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":5531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[28,27],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-5530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-news","tag-adaptation","tag-climate-justice"],"acf":{"url":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5530"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9451,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5530\/revisions\/9451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5530"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powershiftafrica.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=5530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}