As the world approaches COP30 in Belém, Brazil, climate advocates are highlighting critical issues for global action. Rebecca Thissen of the Climate Action Network discusses finance shortfalls, legal rulings, and transition programs in a recent podcast. The summit marks ten years since the Paris Agreement and comes amid debates over inadequate funding for developing nations.
The United Nations Conference of Parties, known as COP30, is set to convene in Belém, Brazil, this November, a decade after the landmark Paris Agreement of 2015. Described as a make-or-break moment for the world's climate response, the summit will bring together negotiators to address pressing global challenges. In a briefing featured on the Earth911 podcast "Sustainability In Your Ear," Rebecca Thissen, Global Advocacy Leader for Climate Action Network International, unpacked the key stakes involved.
Thissen, who holds a background in International Public Law and has extensive experience in climate justice advocacy, focuses on the intersections of finance, economics, and climate action to direct resources effectively. She highlighted several pivotal topics for COP30, including the just transition work program aimed at supporting shifts to sustainable economies, Brazil’s controversial Tropical Forests Forever Facility for preserving rainforests, and the International Court of Justice’s recent groundbreaking ruling on states' climate obligations.
A major concern is the low participation in updating national climate plans: only 10% of countries have submitted their nationally determined contributions ahead of the summit. The discussion also addressed fallout from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where developed nations pledged $300 billion annually in climate finance—far below the $1.3 trillion economists estimate is required. Developing countries criticized the commitment as woefully inadequate, especially since 71% of current climate finance comes as loans rather than grants, exacerbating debt crises and hindering investments in adaptation and mitigation.
Climate Action Network, the world's largest coalition on climate change with nearly 2,000 organizations across 130 countries, will provide daily updates during COP30 via its ECO newsletter at climatenetwork.org. Thissen emphasized the need for multilateral negotiations to deliver justice and transformation amid the escalating climate crisis.