COP30 Dispatch

What Congress Needs to Know from Brazil

Today is Brazil’s National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness, a public holiday honoring the resilience of Afro-Brazilian people and confronting the challenges they face. In observance, COP30 CEO Ana Toni urged countries to integrate equity and respect for marginalized peoples into every decision made in Belém.

About those decisions: the COP30 Presidency missed its ambitious Wednesday deadline to provide a final Mutirão decision text. Complicating matters, a dramatic fire in the venue’s Blue Zone disrupted the afternoon’s proceedings. Thankfully, there were no major injuries.

Since our last Dispatch issue, the Presidency has released draft texts on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement about international carbon markets. Despite the end-of-COP time crunch, Brazilian and UN leaders remain optimistic about reaching a strong outcome. “Hope is the last thing that dies,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said this morning.

In other news, after a year-long standoff, Australia and Turkey reached a compromise late yesterday on their competing bids to host COP31. Antalya, Turkey, will serve as the host, while Australia will take on the COP31 Presidency and lead negotiations. This is not the first time countries have split duties. In 2017, Fiji held the COP23 Presidency, but the negotiations took place at UNFCCC headquarters in Bonn, Germany, for logistical reasons. This announcement comes just weeks after Turkey submitted an updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) that allows for a 16% increase in its emissions until 2035. In September, Australia submitted its updated NDC, which Climate Action Tracker categorizes as “insufficient.”

Missed yesterday’s edition? Check it out here. We are also compiling key COP30 announcements throughout the conference—check back for updates.

You can find all EESI’s COP30 resources here. Getting lost in the COP lingo? Check out EESI's glossary of terms and other helpful guides in our Resources section! Looking for more information? Reach out to EESI Policy Director Anna McGinn at [email protected].

Key Takeaways for Congress

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s wish list for negotiators includes committing to tripling adaptation finance by 2030, upholding COP29’s $1.3 trillion finance goal, and including roadmaps for a fossil fuel phaseout and halting deforestation in the COP30 outcome. (Negotiations)
Nine countries, led by Brazil, announced their support for the Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net-Zero Land Degradation Accelerator to improve depleted soils. (Around the World)
UN Women launched the Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard, which measures how effectively countries integrate gender into their NDCs. (Around the World)

Negotiations

Delegates huddle during informal consultations on the Paris Agreement Article 6.4 mechanism. | Credit: Mike Muzurakis, IISD/ENB.

Parting Words of Warning: Before departing for the G20 Summit in South Africa, UN Secretary-General António Guterres left a wish list for negotiators regarding the final COP30 outcomes. On finance, he asserted that the tripling of adaptation finance by 2030 was the difference between life and death, called for upholding COP29’s goal of reaching $1.3 trillion in finance by 2035, noted that the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage was still mostly empty, and urged all funders to step up. On ambition, Guterres stated that 2025 NDCs are unaligned with the 1.5°C (2.7°F) goal, and must be considered as a floor rather than a ceiling. And on emissions, he asked for compromise on the inclusion of a fossil fuel phaseout roadmap as a COP30 outcome and for committing to the reversal of deforestation by 2030. For additional updates on the negotiations, see the Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s comprehensive daily reports and quick highlights posted every day.
- EESI Briefing: What’s on the Table for the Negotiations

On Finance: Financial means of implementation have been a common thread across every negotiating track in the last couple of days, according to insiders at a Climate Action Network International (CAN-I) press conference. Adaptation finance has been a top priority for developing countries in the negotiation rooms, and remains a major sticking point in the finalization of adaptation indicators. Some countries are demanding a three-year work program on Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement to discuss public provisions of finance from developed countries. Increased scrutiny, accountability, and transparency of financial flows to developing countries (Article 9.5) is another key issue.

On Fossil Fuels: CAN-I experts called out developed countries like Norway that have committed to a domestic phaseout but still invest in fossil fuels in Africa and elsewhere abroad. They also pointed out that some developing countries are unable to access the resources they need to transition away from fossil fuels, and that negotiation outcomes must also ensure finance. Finally, panelists highlighted the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) as essential to getting a fossil fuel phaseout roadmap included in a final decision text.
- EESI Topic Page: Fossil Fuels

Emphasis on Adaptation: The COP29 and COP30 Presidencies co-hosted the Baku High-Level Dialogue on Adaptation today. The session opened with intergovernmental organizations highlighting how adaptation indicators are operationalized on the ground. A representative from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction discussed its indicators, which have allowed the office to explore interconnections between national adaptation plans and early warning systems. Global Environment Facility CEO Carlos Manuel Rodríguez shared that a country’s policy coherence across government is key. He explained that it is challenging for international climate finance to make a difference when countries invest an average of 44 times more in activities that contribute to climate change than address it, and 144 times more in deforestation-related activities than in reforestation. Countries also took the floor to discuss increasing the share of international climate finance that goes to adaptation. Zambia highlighted the fruitful knowledge exchange at this year’s Global National Adaptation Plan Expo.

On the Just Transition: Constituency groups and country representatives convened for a ministerial roundtable to outline their proposals for operationalizing the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP). The Business and Industry NGO (BINGO) constituency emphasized the importance of recognizing the private sector as a key tool for JTWP implementation, and recommended the creation of a database for information sharing. The Environmental NGO, Trade Union NGO (TUNGO), and Women and Gender constituencies urged the Brazil Presidency to adopt the BAM as a means of just transition implementation. The TUNGO constituency also highlighted a lack of heat protections for workers and inadequate supply of, training for, and compensation from clean energy jobs. The Indigenous Peoples Organizations constituency called for the upholding of legal protections of Indigenous rights, including against the negative impacts of critical mineral development.

Around the World

COP25 Climate Champion Gonzalo Muñoz (standing left) and a full room of delegates applaud the work accomplished under the Action Agenda. | Credit: Mike Muzurakis, IISD/ENB.

One More Gap to Trip On: The University of Melbourne, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and the Climate Justice Project convened a UNFCCC side event to launch the fourth Land Gap Report, which assesses land-based carbon dioxide removal commitments within updated NDCs. The 2025 report finds that the amount of land mass countries have designated for carbon removal actions (e.g., wetland restoration) now exceeds 2.4 billion acres, an unsustainable overreliance on this emission reduction pathway. For the first time, the report also assesses a “forest gap” in NDC pledges, calculating that almost 500 million acres will be lost or degraded annually by 2030.

RAIZ Up for Farmlands: Brazil, joined by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, is backing the new Resilient Agriculture Investment for net-Zero land degradation (RAIZ) accelerator with the goal of restoring degraded soil on farmland worldwide. Brazil based the idea of RAIZ on two domestic programs, Green Way and EcoInvest, which have supported the restoration of 7.41 million acres with $6 billion. RAIZ focuses on de-risking investments in soil restoration to attract private finance, which could provide as much as $90 billion in an optimal investment environment.

Analysis of Gender in NDCs: A press conference hosted by UN Women marked the launch of the Gender Equality and Climate Policy Scorecard, which measures how effectively countries integrate gender into their NDCs. It is composed of 50 indicators across six dimensions: economic security, unpaid care work, gender-based violence, health, participation and leadership, and gender mainstreaming. Sarah Hendriks at UN Women described it as the most globally comprehensive database on gender-responsive climate action, and noted that it will continue to grow as more NDCs are submitted. Hendriks and her fellow panelists voiced support for the adoption of a bold new Gender Action Plan that accounts for the intersectionality of different identities and lived experiences, such as gender identity, sexual orientation, education, and Indigeneity.
- EESI Article: “In Climate Diplomacy, Being Gender-Blind Leaves Women Behind”

Cities on a Hill: C40 Cities showcased the importance of bringing subnationals to the table for stronger COP outcomes. Eric Garcetti, C40’s ambassador for global climate diplomacy and former mayor of Los Angeles, asserted that the world cannot transition away from fossil fuels without city-level governance. “Cities are the places of great hope when it comes to the climate movement right now,” he said, adding that 73% of C40 cities have already peaked their emissions. Garcetti amplified the call of mayors and governors around the world for the final COP30 decision to recognize the role and commitments of subnational governments to implement the Paris Agreement. C40 recommends the creation of a dialogue for cities and regions within the UNFCCC, as well as the endorsement of the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships.
- EESI Podcast: “Smaller Scale, Greater Impact: Subnational Climate Diplomacy at COP30”

Matchmaking for Climate Investment: Luxembourg has committed about $369 million over five years to the Rio Changemakers initiative, which will connect investors with nature-based projects in developing countries by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to matchmake, stack different sources of funding, and harness data. Government representatives from 11 countries joined the launch and are planning to engage with the initiative. Tunisia Minister of the Environment Habib Abid said, "A global marketplace based on AI can broaden access to capital, improve project visibility, reduce transaction costs and strengthen trust with investors."

Climate Obstruction: The Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change launched last week, and a series of events brought increased attention to climate disinformation’s impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Today, a group of researchers shared their new global assessment on climate obstruction, which explores the actors intentionally delaying climate action and the tactics they use. These tactics include not only climate denial, but also leveraging processes and arguments that lead to lengthy delays in action, greenwashing, advocating for ineffective policies, and spreading disinformation. This research explains the playbooks used by companies, whole sectors, and governments to avoid having to reduce emissions, and suggests regulations, public literacy efforts, and litigation options that can counter this ongoing obstruction.

Keeping Palau Above Water: The group of least developed countries and the Alliance of Small Island States held a press conference on countries with high climate vulnerability, featuring officials from Palau. Palau Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and the Environment Steven Victor said that two days to travel across the Pacific was no deterrent: “the discussions and the negotiations that we are engaging in could mean that [either] the future of my grandchildren can be secured, or our islands could disappear.” He stressed that 1.5°C (2.7°F)—not 2°C (3.6°F)—is the threshold of survival for nations that rely on coral reef ecosystems.

The Nature of Things: At a Nature4Climate press conference, speakers discussed the importance of countries building synergies between the three Rio Conventions. They explained that, though the UNFCCC has added a negotiation agenda item on this topic, the climate convention is behind the others in strengthening coherence across climate, biodiversity, and desertification. Panelists highlighted the elevation of nature at COP30, including through the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, discussions on nature in the context of international carbon markets, and nature-related Global Goal on Adaptation indicators.

Resources

EESI Resources

Briefing series: What Congress Needs to Know About COP30
- What's on the Table for the Negotiations?
- Keeping it Cool: International Efforts to Reduce Emissions from Refrigerants
- International Trade and Climate Policy
Climate Change Solutions: Bi-weekly newsletter covering climate, energy, and environmental issues
COP30 Announcement Tracker: Key Announcements from the 2025 UN Climate Summit. Also, check out this article with updates on past COP announcements.
U.S. Leaders at COP30: Updates on Members of Congress and other U.S. Officials at the 2025 UN Climate Summit
EESI's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Glossary of Terms

Tracking the Negotiations

CarbonBrief: Reporting and analysis on the UN climate talks, with in-depth tracking of country positions in the negotiations
COP30 Resource Hub: World Resources Institute's extensive set of resources on the climate negotiations
Earth Negotiations Bulletin: A play-by-play of the negotiations, plus expert analysis from the International Institute for Sustainable Development
ECO Newsletter: The climate advocate’s perspective from Climate Action Network International
C2ES Newsletter: Daily key takeaways from COP30 experts observing the negotiations
Nature Updates: Nature4Climate brings daily updates on all the nature-based solutions happenings at COP to your inbox

Background and Logistics

Brazil COP30 presidency website: Priorities, details, and logistics for the negotiations from this year’s host country
UNFCCC COP30 website: Conference details and all updates on documents produced during the negotiations
Congressional Research Service: Reports related to the UNFCCC

Questions about COP30?

Reach out to EESI Policy Director Anna McGinn with your questions. We will get back to you or include the information in an upcoming newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

This newsletter covering COP30 will be running from November 7 - November 24.
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Staff contributors: Daniel Bresette, Alison Davis, Laura Gries, Amaury Laporte,
Anna McGinn, Nicole Pouy, and Hannah Wilson-Black

About EESI

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing science-based solutions for climate change, energy, and environmental challenges to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. Founded on a bipartisan basis by members of Congress, EESI has been informing policymakers about the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental conservation since 1984.

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