The preliminary session for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has commenced in Belém, Brazil, marking a critical juncture for global climate action. Approximately 60 heads of state and government convened for the opening, which featured an inaugural address by the host, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This meeting precedes the main summit, scheduled to begin the following Monday, and serves as an essential forum for high-level negotiations.
The agenda for this preliminary gathering includes a plenary session alongside three focused thematic working groups addressing climate and nature, the energy transition, and a comprehensive review of the Paris Agreement commitments. President Lula da Silva issued a pointed assessment of the current global standing on climate pledges, stating plainly that a significant number of parties are failing to adhere to the stipulations of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted ten years prior by 195 countries. This declaration is set against a backdrop of recent scientific data; the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has concluded that 2025 is shaping up to be one of the warmest years on record, likely ranking second or third hottest, following an unprecedented decade of elevated global temperatures. The WMO report released for COP30 indicates that the annual average global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2025 and 2029 is predicted to be between 1.2°C and 1.9°C higher than the 1850–1900 average.
In a significant development immediately preceding the summit's start, the European Union formally announced an agreement on its own ambitious climate objectives, signaling a proactive stance from a major economic bloc. The participation list for the preliminary meeting reflects broad international engagement, including leaders such as Gabriel Boric of Chile, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, Emmanuel Macron of France, Pedro Sánchez of Spain, and Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom. However, the notable absences of leaders from the People's Republic of China and the United States, the world's two largest historical and current emitters, present a considerable dynamic for the subsequent high-level discussions.
COP30 is positioned as a decisive moment to recalibrate international efforts, particularly given the scientific consensus on rising global temperatures and the documented shortfall in fulfilling the Paris Agreement's goals. The thematic working groups are specifically tasked with developing actionable pathways forward in key areas, ensuring that the discussions move toward concrete implementation strategies. The focus on reviewing the Paris Agreement itself underscores the necessity of strengthening national contributions, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ahead of the next formal review cycle. The Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to pursue 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The current proceedings in Belém must address the gap between these established targets and the trajectory indicated by the latest climate projections. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that based on announced national policies and pledges, global warming projections over this century are between 2.3 to 2.5°C if all plans are fully implemented, noting that new NDCs have only "barely moved the needle." The conference's success will be measured by its capacity to galvanize renewed commitment and establish mechanisms to ensure compliance from all signatories, moving the global climate agenda from aspiration to verifiable execution.
