Cop30, the 30th edition of the UN climate negotiations, was supposed to be a turning point in the fight against climate change. However, as the talks unfold in Belém, Brazil, concerns are growing that they risk repeating the disappointments of previous years.
Critics argue that Cop30 is little more than a jamboree for well-paid lobbyists and officials, while genuine climate concerns are sidelined. Developing countries, who are disproportionately affected by climate change, are struggling to participate in the talks due to the sheer size of the event and the barriers they face in engaging with it.
"This conference has become essentially a business fair," said Patrick Galey, head of fossil fuel investigations at Global Witness. "Fossil-fuel companies come in huge numbers, blocking book hotels and taking up bandwidth. They also engage in false solutions that keep people whose lives depend on it out of the process."
The presence of so many lobbyists is seen as a threat to progress in climate talks. Albert Norström, an associate professor at Stockholm Resilience Centre, noted that "the Cop process has delivered what it was designed for: diplomacy and consensus... But the world has moved into the implementation decade, and here the Cop is lagging badly."
The negotiations are being criticized for failing to address the striking inequalities in who bears the responsibility and burden of climate change. For example, fossil fuel companies' influence is seen as a major obstacle to progress.
Nordström added that "Cop28 hosted nearly 2,500 fossil-fuel lobbyists – more than the combined delegations of many vulnerable nations and scientific institutions. Their presence dilutes ambition, slows progress, and undermines trust."
Critics point out that while Cop30 has achieved some important milestones, such as the agreement on the 1.5C target, it is slow and inefficient in addressing climate change.
For Asad Rehman, CEO of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the problems with Cop30 reflect wider issues of justice and power dynamics. "It's not the structure of the Cop that is the problem; it's power which is the problem," he said.
Rehman pointed out that decisions are often gavelled through against the will of certain countries, such as Bolivia, highlighting the need for more inclusive decision-making processes in climate talks.
The problems with Cop30 are clear: while progress has been made in building a framework for climate action, it is failing to deliver on ambitious goals and is instead becoming mired in misinformation and bad faith actors. The future of our planet may depend on whether we can get the negotiations back on track.
Critics argue that Cop30 is little more than a jamboree for well-paid lobbyists and officials, while genuine climate concerns are sidelined. Developing countries, who are disproportionately affected by climate change, are struggling to participate in the talks due to the sheer size of the event and the barriers they face in engaging with it.
"This conference has become essentially a business fair," said Patrick Galey, head of fossil fuel investigations at Global Witness. "Fossil-fuel companies come in huge numbers, blocking book hotels and taking up bandwidth. They also engage in false solutions that keep people whose lives depend on it out of the process."
The presence of so many lobbyists is seen as a threat to progress in climate talks. Albert Norström, an associate professor at Stockholm Resilience Centre, noted that "the Cop process has delivered what it was designed for: diplomacy and consensus... But the world has moved into the implementation decade, and here the Cop is lagging badly."
The negotiations are being criticized for failing to address the striking inequalities in who bears the responsibility and burden of climate change. For example, fossil fuel companies' influence is seen as a major obstacle to progress.
Nordström added that "Cop28 hosted nearly 2,500 fossil-fuel lobbyists – more than the combined delegations of many vulnerable nations and scientific institutions. Their presence dilutes ambition, slows progress, and undermines trust."
Critics point out that while Cop30 has achieved some important milestones, such as the agreement on the 1.5C target, it is slow and inefficient in addressing climate change.
For Asad Rehman, CEO of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the problems with Cop30 reflect wider issues of justice and power dynamics. "It's not the structure of the Cop that is the problem; it's power which is the problem," he said.
Rehman pointed out that decisions are often gavelled through against the will of certain countries, such as Bolivia, highlighting the need for more inclusive decision-making processes in climate talks.
The problems with Cop30 are clear: while progress has been made in building a framework for climate action, it is failing to deliver on ambitious goals and is instead becoming mired in misinformation and bad faith actors. The future of our planet may depend on whether we can get the negotiations back on track.
these talks are literally just a joke its all about who's got the most cash to throw around at the lobbyists 
they're not even doing anything to address the real issues 
its all just a bunch of fancy words and meaningless promises meanwhile people in developing countries are still struggling to breathe because of climate change 
how can we expect anyone to take this seriously when fossil fuel companies are basically running the show 
it feels like every year is just a repeat of the last one 
we're still stuck on this 1.5c target which is literally just a drop in the ocean compared to what we need 
these talks are all about who's got the most influence and control 
it feels like the entire thing is rigged against us 
I just read that Cop30 is being criticized for not doing enough to address climate change, and it's all about power dynamics 
... but it's not all bad news, I guess 
... there were some important milestones achieved, like the 1.5C target 
... but overall, it's just frustrating that progress is slow and negotiations are more about who gets what 
I'm getting kinda disappointed with Cop30 
It feels like we're not even having a real conversation about how to save our planet 
. I want to see more progress and less excuses 
. Can't we all just work together to solve this problem? 
.
. It's like, we're supposed to be working together to save the planet, but instead it feels like these countries are getting left behind 
.
. Asad Rehman is right - it's all about power dynamics and justice 
.
. But, like, is that really enough? We need more ambition and action from these talks 
. It's time for us to hold our leaders accountable and make sure we're not just talking about climate change, but actually doing something about it 
I'm getting really frustrated with Cop30 
. We can't just keep talking about the same things while the planet burns 
. It's time to get our acts together and make some real changes 
and lobbyists who are more concerned with lining their pockets than saving the planet 
and we need to hold these powerful folks accountable for their actions 
️ the 1.5C target is a great start but we need real action on reducing emissions 
let's hope they get back on track soon 
#COP30 Fail
. We need to get our act together and make sure these negotiations are actually serving the planet, not just the biggest polluters 
. We need to level the playing field and make sure everyone's voice is heard, especially the ones that matter most 
.