At time of writing – the 20th of November 2025, the UN’s 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) are still ongoing. Much more is soon to come in the world of news and plans being made as the discussions enter their final days. With this year’s conference starting the 8th of November, and planned to end the 21st. Although, discussions often go past their deadlines. For a debrief of info on COP goals and terminology, read this article from the Guardian.
These discussions are very hot-topic in the world of environmentalists everywhere. COP30, happening in Brazil, is a very important deal in the current climate. As need for implementation of the ideas that have been pushed for to save the planet have been going on for years now. Accordingly, this years COP hasn’t seen many new or revolutionary ideas brought up, but rather trying to begin or continue on the follow through – the nuts and bolts of previous revolutionary ideas from past COPs.
Additionally, this years COP has seen less developed countries who are disproportionately affected by climate change advocating for financing solutions to salvage hope for their lands and peoples. A coalition between China, India, and Saudi Arabia are advocating for climate finance – and that the 300 billion dollars agreed upon at the last COP needed to be met by developed countries. And Honduras and Suriname have asked for additional funding towards regenerating their rain-forests, as tropical forests are an irreplaceable carbon sink whose restoration would be globally impactful. And Small Island States were discussed how acceleration of limiting of warming to 1.5 degrees. As these less developed nations are far more heavily impacted by climate change’s effects, they are also far less responsible for the problem.
They have been consistently failed for a variety of reasons despite the work of COP and other organizations. Chief among them being the complacency of developed and wealthy countries nations. Aside from climate finance, China, India, and Saudi Arabia’s coalition made a point of calling out the EU’s carbon trading scheme. Many countries like the UK have outwardly been trying to make changes and help, but when it isn’t financially beneficial in the short term, they often aren’t as keen. Additionally to this, the lobbyists who work for the fossil fuel industry infiltrating the conference as “observers” or “delegates” continue to run rampant, making up around 34% of the conference.
One country who shows very adamant support has been the host of this year’s COP, Brazil. According to this article by Brazil’s Ministry of the Government, Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said “Changing our relationship with the planet is an urgent task. In the world we want, devastation gives way to sustainable development. We want a peaceful world, one that is more supportive and less unequal, free from poverty, hunger, and the climate crisis” (Silva, Nov. 16,2025). Needless to say, as COP now approaches the end of its second week, news are very interesting.
This follows what in, in my humble opinion, an undoubtedly horrible month for climate news. This past October marks a few negative advancements in climate news. And while most of the updates aren’t in any way unprecedented if you’ve followed the warnings of climate scientists. More substantially than the typical yearly temperature and CO2 emissions reports is the following. This past October, warm-water Coral reefs are in an irreversible decline, entering a negative feedback loop. This marks the first global ‘tipping point’, and exemplifies why we need to make more progress, and fast.
Which, to that point, none of this should bring any one of us to nihilism. It doesn’t do any good to give up – it never has, and it never will. But, it must become apparent that we need to keep track of things like COP30, to see what can be done. In the weeks following a month marked by an event in nature shocking to many, what good is trying to be done by countries all over the world should be recognized. And it is imperative that the work that can be done, that is getting pushed to the forefront – by those who don’t just care for the 1,477 fossil fuel delegates and their wealthy bosses – stay at the forefront in times that are dire, but not hopeless.
