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RBC Thought Leadership Climate Action COP30: ‘C’ is for Compromise
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COP30: 'C' is for Compromise

What mattered most at the United Nation's Climate Conference in Brazil

Read time 2 minutes

Compromise.

That’s how the world’s leading news organizations summed up COP 30, the United Nations climate conference that just ended in Belém, Brazil. A sampling;

“A climate compromise” — Le Monde (France)
“Mixed verdict” — The Times Of India (New Delhi)
“Fragile deal” — The New York Times
“Historic finance boost” — O Globo (Brazil)
“Progress on money, standstill on oil, gas, coal” — DER SPIEGEL (Germany)
“Vulnerable nations decry lack of fossil-fuel phaseout” — Al Jazeera Media Network (Qatar)
“Multitrao consensus, showcasing unity” — China Daily (Beijing)

The mutirão spirit, or working together, was as good as the conference could get, given it had compromise at every turn. Here’s what mattered most in the end:

  • Commitment to a Just Transition facility, aimed at supporting groups and communities most impacted by climate action

  • Commitment to triple adaptation finance, although no clear path to do so

  • 80 counties called for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, fewer than expected

  • New push for oceans-based solutions

  • New emphasis on “information integrity” to combat disinformation on climate

  • No significant agreements on deforestation, a setback for many given the summit’s location in the Amazon basin.

COPs (or Conference of the Parties who signed the UN climate framework) tend to end in a mix of commitment and disappointment. This one was no different — although given its milestone status and location in Brazil, home to the first Earth Summit in 1992, it fell short of most expectations. Perhaps that’s not surprising, given the state of geopolitics and the global economy.

Turkiye will host COP31 next year, while Australia will lead the negotiations. Both countries were vying for the lead role, and agreed to share the spotlight.

Another compromise!

John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President, Office of the CEO, RBC

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