BELEM, Brazil — As the United Nations climate talks, COP30, enter their second and final week, the focus shifts from professional negotiators to high-ranking government ministers who are now tasked with making critical political decisions. The conference, held on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, resumed after a rest day with foreign and other ministers arriving to address key issues. These officials will wield significantly more authority and flexibility than the negotiators who have been handling the discussions thus far.
David Waskow, director of the international climate initiative at the World Resources Institute, emphasized the shift, stating, ‘It brings a whole different dimension to the table.’ The pressure intensified late Sunday when the Brazilian presidency of the talks released a five-page summary outlining strategies to address contentious issues. These include urging nations to enhance their emissions-cutting plans, resolving trade disputes related to climate, and securing financial aid for poorer nations.
The summary presented a range of options for negotiators to consider or modify, even on topics not originally part of the agenda. Among the proposals is the creation of detailed ‘road maps’ to translate ambitious goals into actionable steps. This approach has already been employed to solidify last year’s $300 billion annual target for wealthy nations to provide climate financial aid to developing countries.
Small island nations, particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, have called for the talks to address the inadequacy of current emissions-cutting plans. So far, 116 nations have submitted plans that collectively fall short of the reductions needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. This issue may be combined with calls for a fossil fuel phase-out plan, a contentious topic that gained momentum after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently advocated for a new road map.
Andreas Sieber, associate policy director at the advocacy group 350.org, remarked, ‘The fight is on. The presidency text outlines of a high-ambition COP30 outcome are finally visible: a pathway to close the decarbonization gap, anchored in a fossil-fuel phase-out road map and a credible climate-finance package.’
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage is supported by multiple private foundations, though the AP retains full editorial control. This story was produced as part of the 2025 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.