In This Edition:
COP30 kicks off with high hopes in Belém, Brazil, amid logistical setbacks.
Lula’s “COP of truth” call urges action on deforestation and fossil fuel phaseout.
Launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) with $5.5 billion pledged.
UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report warns of a 2.3–2.5°C warming trajectory.
Belém 4x Pledge on Sustainable Fuels sparks debate on land use and food security.
Amid a host of logistical challenges, the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is now officially underway in Brazil’s Amazonian city of Belém.
Breaking away from tradition, the annual two-day COP Heads of State Summit (hereafter the “Leaders Summit”) took place days ahead of the official start of negotiations, bringing together representatives from 153 countries to stir up momentum for the weeks ahead. In our latest coverage, we walk you through what happened – and why it matters for COP30.
Unpacking the COP30 Leaders Summit
🌳 The World’s Forests Have a New Guardian, But Experts Warn Caution
The Leaders Summit saw the official launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a global blended market-based mechanism designed to provide permanent incentives for the preservation of tropical forests. With 53 signatories so far, the TFFF has racked up over $5.5 billion in initial commitments, with 20% allotted to Indigenous and local communities involved in forest conservation work. Experts warn that without additional funding and more comprehensive monitoring, the new initiative could quickly plateau.
💰 New UNEP Report Highlights the Climate Costs of Weak NDCs
The UNEP’s 16th Emissions Gap Report predicts an inevitable 1.5°C overshoot even if all proposed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are fully implemented, with global temperature rise hitting 2.3-2.5°C by 2100, exceeding 2.8°C if the world continues with current policies. Leaders at the pre-COP summit have called for greater urgency on fossil fuel phaseout and industrial decarbonization and accelerated implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement.
🛢️ Belém’s Pledge to Quadruple “Sustainable” Fuels Raises Red Flags
19 countries have endorsed the Belém 4x Pledge on Sustainable Fuels, which aims to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035 in efforts to reduce GHG emissions and speed up transportation decarbonization. Critics warn the expansion of biofuel and biogas production risks large-scale land conversion, threatening food security and driving deforestation, and highlight the pledge’s faulty assumptions about the carbon neutrality of woody biomass and crop-based biofuels.
🏭 Super Pollutant Mitigation Gets a Major Boost
Other happenings included a Brazil, China and UK-hosted summit on Methane attended by representatives from Barbados, France, Germany and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The highlight was the launch of the Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a 3-year initiative enabling participating governments to accelerate and sustain reductions in methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and other related emissions through tailored technical assistance projects targeting at least three super pollutant sectors.
⭕ Countries Unite to Strengthen Carbon Market Compliance
The pre-COP30 summit also saw the launch of the Open Coalition on Compliance Carbon Markets, a collaborative initiative promoting the exchange of carbon pricing mechanisms, MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) systems and carbon accounting methodologies with 11 signatories so far. While the initiative signals renewed interest in strengthening carbon market compliance governance, it remains to be seen whether its implementation will actually lead to fairer, more effective compliance carbon markets.
On the Ground at the COP30 Leaders Summit
“…COP30 must be the COP of truth. It is time to take the scientific warnings seriously. It is time to face reality and decide whether we will have the courage and determination necessary to change... I am convinced that, despite our difficulties and contradictions, we need maps of the path to reverse deforestation, overcome dependence on fossil fuels, and mobilize the necessary resources for these objectives — all in a fair and planned way.”
This was Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s impassioned call for urgent climate action during his opening speech on November 6th. Despite setbacks, President Lula has set expectations high, framing COP30’s logistical challenges as proof of why this year’s negotiations must deliver for both climate and people. Positioning Brazil as a bridge-builder for the Global South, he urged collective action to end fossil fuel dependence, reverse deforestation, and deliver equitable climate finance for frontline nations. The host country’s ambitions were delivered in a Call of Belém for the Climate, calling on countries to “build a prosperous and sustainable future” by aligning climate action with competing priorities of poverty eradication, addressing inequalities and eliminating environmental racism.
Observers remarked on a notably smaller impact from this year’s Leaders Summit. Brazil’s attempt to spotlight the summit ahead of COP30 unintentionally diluted the political energy that such high-level gatherings typically generate. Furthermore, the host country’s recent oil exploration leaves much to be desired, making their calls for COP30 matters like adaptation and Loss and Damage financing seem contradictory, if not outright empty.
For many on the ground, the highly anticipated summit failed to build trust or inspire collective resolve. Speeches from several heads of state, particularly those from the Global South, were delivered to half-empty rooms, a telling sign of the political fatigue and fragmentation that continues to challenge the global climate process amid a retreat of multilateralism. Without clear political signals, negotiators seemed to have been left floating ahead of what is expected to be a COP for the ages.
Regardless, Brazil appears determined to make this COP one with a difference, placing justice, inclusion and nature at the center of the conversation. New commitments forged in Belém have set the stage for a summit defined by shared responsibility, scientific integrity, and the renewed push for stronger climate action. The challenge, now, is to deliver.
All eyes are on Brazil to attest whether global climate governance can withstand the threat of multilateralism’s retreat and turn ambition into credible, measurable and equitable progress.
Will Belém reignite the ambition and unity needed to deliver concrete outcomes, or will this early momentum fade into another cycle of cautious optimism?
Stay tuned to this space to find out.
Asia Climate Solutions @COP30
Interested in seeing how Asia is leading the charge toward a future where energy is done differently? Visit the Asia Climate Solutions Pavilion in the COP30 Blue Zone (Booth D130) from November 10–21, 2025. For detailed information on how to register your attendance, visit the official ACS Pavillion Calendar.
Stay tuned for on-the-ground updates via SFOC’s official LinkedIn channel.
