Experts say COP30 failed to deliver concrete commitments on fossil fuels and deforestation despite high expectations.
The COP30 summit, held in November 2025 in the Amazon city of Belém, failed to deliver a clear, time-bound roadmap to phase out fossil fuels - a key demand from climate scientists and vulnerable countries.
Despite its symbolic location in the heart of the rainforest, the final outcome avoided firm commitments on ending fossil fuel use and produced no concrete plan to halt deforestation.
Ümit Şahin, Coordinator of Climate Change Studies at Sabancı University’s Istanbul Policy Center, said COP30 was significantly weakened by the absence of the United States, following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and reverse policies supporting renewable energy.
While the summit agreed to establish a just transition mechanism for workers and to increase adaptation finance - aiming for at least $300 billion annually in public funding by 2035 - Şahin said the measures fell short of the scale of action required.
“Deforestation was one of COP30’s clearest failures,” Şahin said, adding that progress on adaptation finance, though welcome, does not match the rapidly growing needs of developing countries.
The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) will be hosted by Türkiye from 9 to 20 November, 2026, mainly in Antalya, with a leaders’ summit planned in Istanbul. Competition between Türkiye and Australia to host the summit has already raised expectations for a more ambitious agenda.
Şahin said the Mediterranean setting is likely to bring issues such as heatwaves, forest fires and coastal climate risks to the forefront, while electrification, fossil fuel phase-out and stronger emissions reduction commitments are expected to dominate discussions.
As host and president of COP31, Türkiye’s own climate policies will also face close scrutiny. Şahin said credibility will depend on stronger domestic action, including an ambitious updated climate pledge and a clear timeline to phase out coal.
He noted that Türkiye’s national energy plans already point to a decline in coal use and that a complete coal phase-out by 2036 appears technically and economically feasible.
Monday, 9 November, marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a...
Global temperatures are projected to rise by up to 2.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 under current climate policies, according to a Uni...
Environmental organisations worldwide are increasingly using artificial intelligence to monitor wildfires, protect endangered species and analyse c...
Poland has declared two days of national mourning after a gunman opened fire in Kraków's historic main square. Investigators are examining possible far-right influences and the discovery of three bodies at the suspect's home.
Monday, 9 November, marks the second of two days of national mourning in Poland as police bolstered security after six people were killed in a mass shooting in Kraków.
Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, 7 November, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings, just three days before U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Houthis said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Iran-aligned group towards Riyadh on Sunday (8 November), after loud booms were heard in the Saudi capital. The Aramco building was damaged by falling debris.
New Zealand’s ruling centre-right National Party has taken a narrow lead over the opposition Labour Party in Saturday’s general election, with the country’s current three-party coalition projected to retain power.
Global temperatures are projected to rise by up to 2.8°C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 under current climate policies, according to a United Nations report published on 21 October, raising concerns about the world's ability to meet international climate targets.
Cyclone Murasu struck India's eastern coast on Tuesday, bringing powerful winds and forcing thousands to evacuate, just a week after another deadly storm battered the region, the country's weather department said.
The world's richest 0.1 per cent, just eight million people, produce more carbon emissions through their consumption than the poorest 3.5 billion people combined, according to an Oxfam report released on 27 October 2026.
Azerbaijan is seeking international investment in a 3,000-kilometre green energy corridor to Europe, with banks, investors and energy companies gathering in Baku on Thursday to discuss financing for the ambitious project.
A female dusky shark trapped in a canal in Busan, South Korea, for more than a month has finally returned to the open sea after a successful rescue operation on Wednesday (21 October), following two failed attempts.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment