Keeping with history of missed deadlines, the 30th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP30) has gone into overtime with countries failing to arrive at a consensus agreement as of late Saturday (November 22, 2025).

The COP 30 proceedings are considered closed after the Presidency convenes a final plenary meeting with a final version of the ‘cover text’ — a summary of the major meeting points — on the table and all countries assembled in a common space. The President of the proceedings gavels an agreement, and countries deliver statements.

This was to conclude on Friday (November 21, 2025), but as of late Saturday (November 22, 2025), these plenary proceedings had not begun.

On Saturday (November 22, 2025), Belem-time, COP President Andrei Lago presented a final version of the text that is expected to be the final version, but, as observers say, has no significant changes from earlier versions and still contains no reference to fossil fuel or even a timeline of moving away. The lack of this language has chagrined European negotiators and those from at least 80 countries.

“While far from what’s needed, the outcome in Belem is meaningful progress. The Paris Agreement is working; the transition away from fossil fuels agreed in Dubai is accelerating. Despite the efforts of major oil-producing states to slow down the green transition, multilateralism continues to support the interests of the whole world in tackling the climate crisis,” Jennifer Morgan, former German climate envoy, said in a statement.

“The latest mutirao text [the Brazilian theme word that translated to consensus] on November 22 morning offers little that is new from the previous day with few substantial commitments,” said Avantika Goswami, with the Centre for Science and Environment and a close observer of climate proceedings in a statement, “The goal of tripling adaptation finance remains vague with no specific accountability of contributors… beyond talk shops however, this COP has delivered little else.”

Although not mentioning fossil fuels, the current text, in at least 13 instances, reiterates the necessity of striving to pursue measures to keep temperatures from exceeding 1.5 °C, and that funding from a wide range of public and private sources is necessary to achieve that

The 30th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP 30) in Belem, Brazil, drew to a close late Saturday (November 22, 2025) with COP President Andrei Lago giving a personal commitment to get countries to deliberate upon two ‘road maps’ to end deforestation as well as a path towards ending fossil fuel use by countries.

“As [Brazilian] President Lula [da Silva] said at the opening of this COP, we need road maps so that humanity in a just and planned manner can overcome its dependence on fossil fuels, halt and reverse deforestation and mobilising resources for these purposes. I, as President of COP 30, will therefore create two road maps — one on halting and reversing deforestation and another on transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly, and equitable manner,” Mr. Lago said, while gavelling a consensus agreement, called the Global Mutirão: Uniting humanity in a global mobilisation against climate change. Mutirao is a Portuguese-Brazilian term for ‘coming together’ and has been a theme of the COP 30 proceedings.

This Mutirao refers to a consensus agreement on the most contentious topics of climate talks — implementation of article 9 of the Paris Agreement that makes it mandatory for developed countries to mobilise funds for developing countries to transition away from fossil fuels; promoting international cooperation steps by countries to impose “trade-restrictive unilateral measures”; progress on the countries nationally determined contributions and addressing the 1.5°C ambition and implementation gap, among others.

Developing countries (including some petro states and India) were insistent on not including language that commits countries to a timeline on eliminating fossil fuel from their economies.

Developed countries have insisted that specifying such a path is critical to keep the planet from overheating beyond 1.5°C by century end and that finance necessary for adapting to climate change and transitioning away from fossil fuel use must mobilise money from private and public sources.

Outreach to developed countries

While the final Mutirao agreement did not include language on fossil fuels, the President’s opening statement was seen as a placative outreach to developed countries as a way to keep conversation open on a definitive fossil fuel road map.

The President’s statements do not appear in the Mutirao agreement and hence is not considered binding on countries.

Other than Mutirao, there were 10 major agreements facilitated by separate groups of countries ranging from a wide of topics such as ‘just transition,’ (equipping labour forces globally to adapt to new jobs, loss and damage [from current effects of climate change] and technology implementation [regarding transferring clean energy technology] as well as a ‘global goal on adaptation,’ that is meant to measure progress towards the world adapting to climate change). While the President slammed his gavel, there were objections by various South American countries on aspects of the global goal on adaptation, forcing the President to interrupt proceedings. Country statements are expected to last all through Saturday evening (Belem time).

“Climate negotiations risked being disconnected from climate reality and the action that is already happening. At COP 30 in Brazil, the real world finally came back into the room,” Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy Environment and Water, and Special Envoy to COP 30 representing South Asia, said. “In a year where climate multilateralism has been challenged, getting a good deal was better than failing to get any deal in pursuit of the best deal. We saw important steps calling for at least tripling adaptation finance (even though by 2035); recognising diverse national pathways for a just transition; deciding to establish a two-year work programme on climate finance, including on Article 9.1 in the context of Article 9 as a whole; reaffirming that measures taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination; and finally, deciding to launch a Global Implementation Accelerator, including a high-level dialogue next year,” Mr. Ghosh said.

With the fires at the venue doused, new flashpoints emerged early on Friday (November 21, 2025) — officially, the last day of the climate talks in Brazil’s Belem — after a draft text skipped mention of fossil fuels.

The Conference of Parties (COP) proceedings usually conclude with a ‘cover text’ or a consensus political statement issued by the COP Presidency, in this case led by Brazilian diplomat Andrei Lago, which lays out the united resolution by Parties (countries signatory to Paris Agreement) to take action on climate change.

A flashpoint was emerging over the past 10 days with developing countries, including some petro-states, insistent on not including language that commits countries to a timeline on eliminating fossil fuel from their economies.

Developed countries have insisted that specifying such a path is critical to keep the planet from overheating beyond 1.5°C by the century-end, and that the finance necessary for adapting to climate change and transitioning away from fossil fuel use must mobilise money from private and public sources.

“This is in no way close to the ambition we need on mitigation. We are disappointed with the text currently on the table. We are willing to be ambitious on adaptation, but we would like to make clear that any language on finance should squarely be within the commitment reached last year on the NCQG,” Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate, said in a statement.

A plenary session discussing the latest cover text is expected later on Friday (November 21, 2025) prior to which nearly 80 countries, pitching for the language on fossil fuel, are expected in various permutations to voice dissatisfaction with the text. This session is an occasion for countries to publicly voice their support to, or disappointment with, the Presidency.

“At COP30, the Global South is not asking for favours, it is asking for the basic foundations needed to deliver a fair and effective global climate response. Climate action must be underpinned by equity, fair rules and reliable support,“ Arunabha Ghosh, Director General, Council on Energy Environment and Water said.

“The proposed high-level ministerial roundtable to reflect on the implementation of the NCQG is a welcome step… While the new dialogues on trade mark a progress, they should ensure that developing economies are protected from climate-linked trade barriers,” he added.

 

As COP30 begins on Monday (November 10, 2025) in Belém, Brazil, a new international report from adelphi, Europe-based independent think‑and‑do tank, has spotlighted a critical gap in global climate funding. The report warns that the world is critically under-investing in health systems needed to withstand climate impacts.  

Despite growing consensus that climate and health financing are inseparable, the report titled, ‘The Nexus of Adaptation and Health Finance: Mapping multilateral climate funds’ investments and national needs’, reveals that just 0.5% of all multilateral climate funding, approximately U.S. $173 million since 2004, has been allocated to support health systems in vulnerable countries. This is in marked contrast to the U.S. $2.54 billion in health adaptation needs identified by National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).  

The report finds that countries vulnerable to climate impacts are already facing mounting health threats, from heat and deadly diseases to collapsing health and infrastructure. Despite this, and despite improvements in recent years, multilateral funding continues to overlook health needs caused by climate impacts.  

Mathilde Wilkens, co-author of the report, said, “The climate crisis and its impact on human health are severe and life-threatening. It is already impacting health, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Linking multilateral climate funds’ investments with countries’ national needs and priorities in the health sector as well as prioritizing investments in vulnerable countries is key for leveraging change towards resilient health systems.” 

adelphi’s analysis underscores that while an overwhelming 87% of the 67 NAPs submitted to the UNFCCC include health objectives, and 39% specify dedicated health budgets, less than 0.1% of these requirements have been financed.  

Countries across the world have recognised the importance of addressing the health and climate nexus, and states such as Nepal and Bangladesh have demonstrated strong planning for climate-resilient healthcare. Without new investment, however, implementation will stall.  

Md. Shamsuddoha, chief executive at the Center for Participatory Research and Development-CPRD, Bangladesh, said, “As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh faces escalating health threats from climate change, from infectious diseases to heat stress and mental health impacts, which threaten the wellbeing of million.” 

Mr. Shamsuddoha added, “In order to safeguard communities and advance our National Adaptation Plan goals in regards to public health, it is necessary to scale up multilateral climate funds for Bangladesh’s health sector, as well as bolster integrated risk analysis and reporting. Strengthening climate-resilient health systems and early warning capacities will be key to protecting lives and driving resilient development.” 

The report focuses exclusively on projects supported by multilateral climate funds, noting that it excludes bilateral or private sector contributions. Its regional breakdown paints a troubling picture, although the Green Climate Fund provides more than 70% of the health-adaptation funding, two-thirds of those investments flow to East Asia and the Pacific, one-quarter to Sub‑Saharan Africa, and not a single country, specific health adaptation project has been supported in South Asia. This is despite the region being projected to bear an estimated 18% of future climate-related health impacts. Fragile and conflict-affected states, where health systems are most at risk, have received merely 4% of adaptation finance.  

COP30, now being hailed as the “Adaptation COP”, runs from November 10 to 22, during which the Brazilian presidency is expected to launch the Belém Health Action Plan, intended to place health at the center of adaptation negotiations.  

The adelphi report urges negotiators to take advantage of this platform and ensure health systems receive targeted, grant-based support that does not exacerbate debt burdens. It calls for full alignment of climate and health investment priorities, the foundation for stronger and more targeted national adaptation planning. The experts have recommended improved access to international finance for all relevant stakeholders, increased grant-based finance that does not worsen the debt spiral for developing countries, stronger cross-sectoral and cross-organizational collaboration on the health and climate nexus and finalization of ambitious indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation at COP30, for both health and means of implementation.  

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tore into nations for their failure to limit warming to 1.5° Celsius, as Brazil hosted world leaders for a summit ahead of the COP30 climate conference in the rainforest city of Belem.

Scientists have confirmed the world is set to cross the 1.5° C warming threshold around 2030, risking extreme warming with irreversible consequences.

“Too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public and obstructing progress,” Mr. Guterres said in his speech. “Too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests.”

Countries are spending about $1 trillion each year in subsidising fossil fuels.

Leaders have two clear options, Mr. Guterres said: “We can choose to lead — or be led to ruin.”

‘ALARMING STREAK’ OF RECORD HEAT

The COP30 conference marks three decades since global climate negotiations began. In that time, countries have curbed the projected climb in emissions somewhat, but not enough to prevent what scientists consider extreme global warming in the next few decades.

The World Meteorological Organisation announced this year would likely be the second- or third-warmest on record, with the temperature average through August being 1.42° C above the preindustrial average, after record heat in 2023 and 2024.

“The alarming streak of exceptional temperatures continues,” WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said with the report’s release.

Outside of the conference venue — still under construction ahead of next week’s summit start — a small group of indigenous people marched in a circle while singing and urging protection of the world’s forests and their people.

A flotilla bringing indigenous leaders and activists down rivers of the Amazon Basin to the conference was delayed and would not arrive until next week.

During the leaders’ summit on Thursday and Friday, about 150 heads of state, subnational leaders and international organisations were due to deliver speeches that would be televised across the world.

Missing from the lineup are the leaders of four of the world’s five most-polluting economies — China, the United States, India and Russia — with only the leader of the European Union showing up.

The U.S. administration has opted to send no one to the talks, unlike the others. Instead, top U.S. officials were in Greece alongside fossil fuel giant Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) on Thursday as it signed a new deal to explore offshore for natural gas.

Some said the absence of the United States from COP30 may free countries to discuss action without any one player dominating the outcome.

“Without the U.S. present, we can actually see a real multilateral conversation happening,” said Pedro Abramovay, vice president of programs at Open Society Foundations and a former justice minister under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

‘NEW SPACE FOR MULTILATERALISM’

Mr. Lula planned to hold bilateral meetings on Thursday with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, after meeting one-on-one on Wednesday with the Chinese vice premier and leaders from Finland and the European Union.

“In a moment in which a lot of people are kind of claiming the death of multilateralism, I think there is a new space for a multilateralism that is not built in a top-down way from powerful countries towards poor countries,” Mr. Abramovay said.

Brazil is hoping the World Leaders Summit will deliver at least $10 billion of its overall target of $125 billion for its newly launched Tropical Forest Forever Facility, estimating that would be enough to start generating funds for conservation.

China, Norway and Germany were expected to announce contributions in Belem, after Brazil offered the first investment and Indonesia matched that pledge.

But the United Kingdom, which helped to frame the way the fund works, delivered an early disappointment on Wednesday, disclosing that it would be offering no cash.