Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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November 17, 2025 Climate and environment
As the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) enters its final phase this week, the UN is reminding everyone that time is running out to achieve climate justice.
In the negotiating rooms, according to Simon Still, Executive Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there is a “deep understanding… that climate cooperation can stand the test of a divided world.”
"There is no time to delay"
On Monday, the so-called "high-level segment" of the conference in Belém, Brazil, began, with ministers and other high-level representatives taking their seats at the negotiating table. Still urged delegations not to delay addressing the most complex issues until the last minute. He emphasized that it was absolutely unacceptable to "drag out time or block the process."
UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock also joined this call, stating that delegates cannot afford the "luxury" of "inaction" when people are "counting on them."
According to her, the transition to renewable energy sources is already irreversible, and the necessary resources exist – they just need to be directed in the right direction.
Baerbock emphasized that developing countries paid off about $1.4 trillion in external debt last year, and these resources could be effectively used to combat climate change and develop clean energy.
From negotiations to results
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin stated that COP30 should mark the beginning of a new era – one in which the world "stops discussing goals and starts achieving them." This means moving from negotiations to action, that is, to the search for new mechanisms capable of accelerating global climate action.
Alckmin reminded delegates of the commitments made in Belém to quadruple the use of clean fuels by 2035. Twenty-five countries have now joined the initiative.
He also called for creative solutions in key areas – the bioeconomy and decarbonisation – reaffirming Brazil's commitment to "clean energy, innovation and inclusiveness".
Negotiations may continue into the night.
Brazilian officials told reporters that two sets of decisions were up for discussion: one concerning issues covered by the Paris Climate Agreement, and the other on additional topics.
Brazil has presented a draft of the first package, which is expected to be submitted for approval midweek. Much work remains, and COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago stated that the conference agenda will have to be adjusted to allow delegates to continue negotiations overnight.
Agência Brasil/Tânia Rêgo
COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago at the closing of the People's Summit.
People's Summit on the sidelines of the conference
Outside the official COP30 venue, the Angar Conference Center, participants from international social movements gathered for the People's Summit. Held from November 12 to 16, it aimed to increase pressure on the negotiators and demand that they make real decisions.
Following the summit, participants prepared their proposals and submitted them to the COP30 President. In an interview with the UN News Service, Maureen Santos, a member of the People's Summit Political Committee, noted that these proposals will form the basis for monitoring during this week's negotiations.
"I believe this conference has become an example of democracy not only for the UN but for the entire world. This is precisely what multilateralism is: when parties are truly engaged in the process, not just at the national level, and when the voices of those directly affected by the climate crisis can be heard while simultaneously proposing solutions to overcome it," she said.
Key proposals include expanding the discussion on a just transition to include not only renewable energy, but also issues of employment and working conditions, food sovereignty, land rights, and much more.
300 thousand servings of food
More than 25,000 people participated in the People's Summit. And on Saturday, more than 70,000 people took part in the Climate Justice March—the largest such event, according to Santos.
Summit participants received 300,000 free meals. To feed them, nongovernmental organizations drew on the experience gained during their efforts to help victims of the 2024 floods in Rio Grande do Sul.
Rudy Raphael, one of the organizers, explained that the venue featured 21 500-liter kettles, and a conveyor belt for packaging ready-made meals produced one serving every 26 seconds. The menu featured products from local family farmers, including traditional Amazonian ingredients such as jambu, açaí, and piraruca.
The activist emphasized that the summit became a source of hope for all who continue to fight to protect rural areas and indigenous territories.
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