What was agreed at COP30?

The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30) was held from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. Negotiations overran and concluded on 22 November 2025.

Goals and outcomes

The Brazilian presidency branded COP30 as the “COP of implementation”, aiming to move from pledges to action. Priorities included reinforcing multilateralism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), connecting climate action to real-world impacts, and accelerating delivery of the Paris Agreement.

Key negotiated outcomes

The key outcome of the conference was the Mutirão Decision text, which set out actions on maintaining plans to combat climate change in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement climate finance and a reference to aligning global trade with climate objectives.

Additionally, agreements were reached on indicators to measure progress towards adaptation and to develop a just transition mechanism to financially support countries transitioning to low carbon economies.

No consensus was found to include a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels in the final text.

Outcomes outside formal negotiations

There were several key outcomes beyond the formal negotiated text. These included the COP30 Action Agenda, which set out plans to move from previously agreed pledges to implementation.

Efforts to include a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels failed. However, the presidency agreed to create two roadmaps, one on fossil fuels and one on forests.

Participation and reception

COP30 drew nearly 60,000 delegates, despite the high costs to attend and logistical challenges for some delegates in getting there. Indigenous voices were prominent, with over 5,000 participants; the highest representation at a COP to date.

Leaders from the UK, France, Germany and Brazil attended the leaders’ summit held in Belém before the start of COP30. However, leaders from three of the largest emitters, India, the US and China, were absent. For the first time in the history of COPs, the US Government did not send a delegation.

Reactions to the outcomes were mixed. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell praised continued cooperation despite geopolitical tensions, while the European Parliament delegation criticised the lack of progress on fossil fuel phase-out.

Environmental groups described the negotiated text as weak but welcomed advances on adaptation and inclusion of indigenous people. Industry groups highlighted commitments on energy systems, and academics debated the effectiveness of the COP process.

In the UK Parliament, debate of COP30 focused on climate finance, fossil fuel transition, and the lack of UK Government funding for Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF).

What happens next?

The official host nation for COP31 has been announced as Turkey, who will host the conference in Antalya. Both Australia and Turkey submitted bids for the presidency, and neither had conceded in the run up to the conference. However, following negotiations at COP30, Australia agreed to support the Turkish bid in return for their minister presiding the negotiations and hosting a pre-COP in the Pacific.

Both Australia and Turkey submitted bids for the presidency, and neither had conceded in the run up to COP29. However, following negotiations at COP30, Australia agreed to support the Turkish bid in return for their minister chairing the talks.

Footnotes