„Welcoming the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém as the “COP of Truth”, restoring trust and hope in the fight against climate change (...)”1Global Mutirão: Uniting humanity in a global mobilisation against climate change United Nations, Framework Convention on Climate Change, Proposal by the President. Belém, 10-21 November 2025 Agenda item 2(c). 🌐 https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2025_L24_adv.pdf
This is how it is written2 Global Mutirão: Uniting humanity in a global mobilisation against climate change United Nations, Framework Convention on Climate Change, Proposal by the President. Belém, 10-21 November 2025 Agenda item 2(c). 🌐 https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2025_L24_adv.pdf [/ footnote].
The COP30 in Belém was supposed to be the „conference of truth“ - and failed because of precisely this truth
When a climate conference starts with the promise to finally tell the truth and then ends with a minimal compromise that satisfies no one, it is more than just a diplomatic mishap. It is an oath of disclosure. The 30th World Climate Change Conference, which took place from 10 to 22 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, was announced by its host, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as the „Conference of Truth“3Tagesschau - Climate conference ends without an exit roadmap for coal, oil and gas 🌐 https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/amerika/weltklimakonferenz-minimalkompromiss-100.html . However, the truth that came to light in the end was a different one: The global community is still not prepared to declare war on fossil fuels. What's more, it is allowing itself to be systematically thwarted by a handful of powerful oil and gas states4N-TV - What was decided in Belém 🌐 https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Was-in-Belem-beschlossen-wurde-id30056777.html .
After more than 19 hours of extra time and chaotic negotiations behind closed doors, the more than 190 participating states finally agreed on a final document that fell far short of expectations5ZDF - Climate compromises, but fossil fuel phase-out remains open 🌐 https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/cop-30-klimakonferenz-abschlusserklaerung-100.html . A binding plan to phase out coal, oil and gas? Not a chance. Instead, only voluntary initiatives and non-binding declarations of intent. Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider was „a little disappointed“ - a phrase that seems downright cynical given the dramatic nature of the climate crisis6Spiegel - COP30 in Belém: World Climate Conference ends without decision on exit plan for coal, oil and gas 🌐 https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/cop30-in-belem-weltklimakonferenz-endet-ohne-beschluss-zu-exitplan-fuer-kohle-oel-und-gas-a-b1ef2147-384b-4bb3-a9c7-5bc88d40fe00?sara_ref=re-xx-cp-sh .
The world is currently heading for warming of 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century - almost double the Paris climate target of 1.5 degrees7Tagesschau - End of the World Climate Conference: What did the COP30 achieve? 🌐 https://www.tagesschau.de/wissen/klima/klimakonferenz/analyse-cop30-ergebnisse-100.html . The first twelve months over 1.5 degrees of warming have already been exceeded - a historic and alarming milestone8Dr Mark Benecke (Facebook) - History was over 1.5 degrees Celsius too warm for twelve months 🌐 https://www.facebook.com/markbenecke/posts/schrecklich-ganz-ernst-gemeint-das-ist-keine-warm-zeit-das-ist-kein-sommer-das-i/1304643287696671/ .
ßPhoto: and aerial view of the deforestation of a road being built in the Amazon rainforest for the UN Climate Change Conference COP 30 in Belém, Pará, Brazil. Environment, ecology, nature, logistics, infrastructure... Paralaxis / iStock by GettyImages
In this detailed commentary on the COP30, we don't just want to summarise what was discussed, promised and ultimately decided at this conference. We also want to be honest about where international climate policy has been failing for decades - and what measures would really be necessary to contain the climate crisis to some extent. This includes uncomfortable truths about billionaire taxes, fossil fuel lobbies, the failure of Friedrich Merz and the structural problems of international climate negotiations. And we take a realistic look at the future - with assessments by Dr Mark Benecke, a biologist whom I hold in high esteem and who has been issuing scientifically sound warnings about the consequences of the climate crisis for years.
The Climate Conference 2025 was supposed to be a turning point. Instead, it became a symbol of political failure, economic conflicts of interest and the dangerous illusion that we still had time. We don't. Time has long since run out - „time is up“, as Mark Benecke repeatedly emphasises in his lectures9Dr Mark Benecke - Time is up: Heat, floods, species loss (YouTube) 🌐https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MubKjrWCg5w 10Dr Mark Benecke - Time is up: Water(YouTube) 🌐 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xaC8fVAPhU . Reason enough for me to take a closer look at the COP30 in the following articles.
Cover picture: COP30 logo. ConceptualArt / iStock by GettyImages
