COP30 conclusions “insufficient” to tackle climate change, say scientists, NGOs

Agreements reached at the COP30 climate conference on the phaseout of fossil fuels and rainforest protection fall short of what is required to keep climate change in check and avoid tipping points, German scientists and climate NGOs said after the close of negotiations in Belém, Brazil.

“COP30 has not been marked by groundbreaking agreements,” said Ottmar Edenhofer, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). “Countries are making insufficient pledges, and even these commitments are not being honoured.”

The UN climate change conference took place over the past two weeks. Delegates discussed key global issues including protection of rainforests, combating deforestation, cooperation on adaptation, climate finance, and the fossil fuel phaseout.

“From a European perspective, COP30 in Belém is disappointing,” said Claudia Kemfert from the economic institute DIW. She added that the conference ended without a roadmap for phasing out coal, oil and gas, despite support from a coalition of over 80 countries.

Agreements fall short of expectations – German ministers

“This world climate conference was good in terms of implementation, but not good enough in terms of the outcome of the negotiations,” said Germany’s environment minister Carsten Schneider. He lamented that strong opposition from the “old, fossil fuel-based world” had prevented a binding agreement on a roadmap for the fossil fuel phaseout.

“The agreements on adapting to the consequences of the climate crisis fall short of what we had hoped for and fought for, too,” added development minister Reem Alabali Radovan.

COP30 took place against the backdrop of the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, where leaders from around the world pledged to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. PIK director Edenhofer pointed out that despite shortcomings, COP negotiations remained important to develop and launch climate protection initiatives.

“Against the backdrop of a fragmented geopolitical international arena, a voluntary agreement was reached to discuss a roadmap for [the fossil fuel] phaseout,” said Dirk Messner, head of Germany’s environment agency UBA. “That is the silver lining and should not be underestimated.”

Conference does not generate necessary momentum, say researchers and NGOs

“The agreements do not in any way address the climate crisis and the countries most threatened by climate change. This is not the emergency mode that would be an adequate response to the crisis,” Niklas Höhne, head of the New Climate Institute, told the Science Media Centre.

This was echoed by the Wuppertal Institute: “The 1.5-degree limit cannot be met with the measures taken so far, so it would be necessary to switch to emergency mode,” said climate policy researcher Wolfgang Obergassel.

“Unfortunately, the global climate conference is not generating the necessary momentum for faster emissions reductions and closing the ambition gaps for climate protection and financing,” said Petter Lydén, head of international climate policy at climate NGO Germanwatch.

Environmental Action Germany (DUH) also voiced dissatisfaction: “Measured against the requirements, the decisions to phase out fossil fuels and halt global deforestation fall short,” said director Sascha Müller-Kraenner.

Progress on bilateral partnerships and regional cooperation

Countries agreed on 59 indicators to measure progress in global climate adaptation, and agreed to “at least triple” adaptation financing for developing countries by 2035, without specifying a reference value.

A “Just Transition Mechanism” is to strengthen international cooperation and provide technical and knowledge exchange, with proposals on how to implement this by signatory states expected by mid-March 2026.

“To speed up implementation, we have significantly strengthened our international partnerships,” said Germany’s development minister Reem Alabali Radovan.