At a high-level summit ahead of the conference, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called on nations to bring their “homework” to COP30 in Belem.
Emphasizing new, stronger climate plans that can actually keep the world within the 1.5-degree Celsius limit of the Paris Agreement.
According to Johan Rockström, chief scientist at Conservation International, and climate expert Katharine Hayhoe, who talked at the beginning of the conference, ten years after the Paris Agreement, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and 2023 marked the first year global average temperature change exceeded the 1.5-degree threshold.
“This is a deep concern,” Rockström warned. “An even deeper concern is that warming appears to be accelerating, outpacing emissions.”
Yet both scientists insisted hope remains if countries accelerate the shift to clean energy and transform food systems to cut waste.
“We cannot prevent this catastrophe alone. But together, we can, by setting stronger targets, moving on faster timelines, and making deeper commitments,” Hayhoe urged.
The Global Homework Call
Secretary-General Guterres pointed to the difference the Paris Agreement has made since its adoption, highlighting the projected temperature rise, which has fallen from 4°C to under 3°C over the past decade, assuming current national plans are implemented. But this is still not enough.
“Now, we need new plans for 2035 that go much further, and much faster,” he said. His call included five priority areas:
- Accelerating the clean energy transition.
- Slashing methane emissions.
- Protecting and restoring forests.
- Cutting emissions from heavy industry.
- Ensuring climate justice for developing nations.
President Lula echoed the urgency, casting the energy transition as a transformation “comparable to the Industrial Revolution.”
Big Players, Big Promises
From China to Europe to Brazil itself, the summit witnessed fresh pledges.
- China: By 2035, it will reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7–10 percent from peak levels, raise non-fossil fuels to over 30% of energy use, expand wind and solar sixfold from 2020, and make “new energy vehicles” mainstream.
- European Union: Emissions have already fallen nearly 40% since 1990. The EU pledged to remain the world’s largest provider of climate finance, mobilizing up to €300 billion for the global clean energy transition.
- Brazil: Lula reaffirmed targets to cut economy-wide emissions by 59–67% and eliminate deforestation by 2030.
Each announcement sounded ambitious, but whether these promises will translate into measurable action is another matter.
As Lula asked, the world must now decide if it will arrive in Belém “with its homework done.” For Guterres, failure is not an option: COP30 “must conclude with a credible global response plan to get us on track.”
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