Positive Climate Stories from COP30
Despite geopolitical tension, COP30 proved that multilateralism remains alive and showed how smaller groups of determined countries can drive ambition. From solidarity levies on luxury flights to coordinated pressure on fossil fuel phase-out, COP30 highlighted the growing power of “minilateralism” to deliver real change.
Story of the month
1. New Just Transition mechanism adopted to guide a fair global transition
One of the overwhelming sentiments coming out of COP30 was that multilateralism hung in the balance, with climate progress stymied by fierce geopolitical hostility. Yet, despite outright refusal to engage and the presence of an army of fossil fuel lobbyists, there was a rare but significant victory for civil society.
The agreement of the Just Transition mechanism – known among activists as the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) and even chanted in the plenary when the decision was gavelled – represents the most ambitious and comprehensive language on rights and inclusion of any COP decision.
In practical terms, the BAM establishes a new mechanism dedicated to coordinating and guiding just transition efforts across countries. It does this through dialogues and by creating formal entry points for workers, Indigenous Peoples, youth and civil society to help shape recommendations. It puts people and equity at the centre of the fight against the climate crisis and aims to enhance international cooperation, technical assistance, capacity building, and knowledge sharing to enable equitable, inclusive just transitions.
For the first time, the negotiations also addressed the climate impacts of critical minerals and the cross-border impact of climate-related trade measures. While not included in the final text, their discussion opens the door for future best practice recommendations to be incorporated into the mechanism’s capacity and knowledge-sharing elements.
Although the BAM doesn’t specifically allocate new climate finance, it does dictate how broader finance should be distributed, prioritising non-debt-inducing finance and reaffirming States’ responsibilities in upholding the Paris Agreement.
Going forward, the BAM will help guide how just transition principles are built into national climate plans and finance decisions. The essence of mutirão was sorely tested in Belém, but the adoption of the BAM saw the spirit of solidarity win through, providing hope for climate action, the COP process and global multilateralism.
2. Momentum builds as 80 countries push for fossil fuels phase-out
It is no surprise that fossil fuels are central to climate change. For more than a century, science has shown that burning coal, oil and gas heats the planet to dangerous levels. Yet climate negotiations have rarely confronted this head-on. COP28’s “UAE Consensus” in Dubai was the first-time countries formally acknowledged the need to “transition away from fossil fuels” – a symbolic breakthrough, but a vague one, with no pathway, timeline, or plan for how nations should do it.
At the start of COP30, it seemed business would continue as usual: fossil fuels were not included as formal agenda items.
Yet in the months leading up to the summit, Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, emerged as a driving force for a global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. She framed it as an ethical and science-based response to the climate crisis, emphasising that participation should be voluntary, equitable and tailored to each country’s circumstances. President Lula also repeatedly referenced the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in high-level summit discussions, adding political weight to the proposal.
Momentum began to build. By midweek, more than 80 countries publicly demanded that a roadmap be included in the COP outcome. In the meantime, resistance hardened from Saudi Arabia, Russia and the Arab Group. Over 20 ministers then stood together on stage to reiterate that 1.5°C is impossible without ending fossil fuel dependence. That night, 29 countries sent a letter to the Brazilian presidency, warning that they might walk out if the issue was excluded.
Yet, COP decisions require consensus, and opponents refused to accept any explicit reference to fossil fuels. Negotiators were unwilling to risk a deal collapse in an already fragile multilateral context. The compromise was to exclude a formal roadmap, mentioning fossil fuels only obliquely through the UAE Consensus.
But the story does not end there. Brazil announced that the fossil fuel roadmap initiative would continue outside the formal UN process, in coordination with a Colombian-backed effort, with a global summit scheduled for April 2026 to advance the discussions.
While the outcome is disappointing, it is also worth celebrating that over 80 nations from both developed and developing countries stood up for more ambitious climate action. It highlights how “minilateralism” – a smaller bloc of willing countries – can drive progress even when the broader UN process stalls. Much of this progress may have to take place outside the COP framework for the time being, but with preparation and ongoing dialogue, future COPs may be able to build on this foundation for a more coordinated global transition away from fossil fuels. In the meantime, we can only hope that the countries supporting the roadmap will act on it without waiting for formal COP endorsement, turning this momentum into concrete, immediate climate action.
3. A growing coalition targets premium flyers for climate finance
Another demonstration of “minilateralism” at COP30 came from the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition, a group of countries showing how even a small bloc can drive concrete climate action. The coalition expanded from 8 to 13 member countries, including Benin, Djibouti, France, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan and Spain, with Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Fiji and Vanuatu participating as observers.
The coalition focuses on the highest-emitting travellers, introducing solidarity levies on business- and first-class flights, as well as private jets. Funds raised would provide a predictable stream of climate finance from those responsible for the most emissions. COP30 also saw the launch of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force’s report, The Untapped Potential of Solidarity Levies, which recommends expanding similar approaches to other high-emitting sectors, including shipping, financial transactions and cryptocurrencies.
Em Fenton, our Senior Director for Climate Diplomacy, emphasised the significance: “The Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition shows how countries can take an equitable approach to raising additional climate finance. This type of 'minilateralism' is increasingly important for demonstrating progress in the face of climate laggards’ blocking tactics during multilateral negotiations.”
This initiative delivers on the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap, showing how countries can mobilise additional climate finance to meet the scale of the need. By targeting luxury consumption that contributes disproportionately to climate change, solidarity levies offer a model for funding climate action while ensuring that those most responsible for emissions help pay the bill.
4. Brazil launches historic fund to protect tropical forests
One of the standout proposals from Brazil at COP30 was the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) – an ambitious forest-conservation plan that could reshape how we protect the world's rainforests. These forests act as the planet’s lungs, absorbing carbon dioxide and supporting millions of species, making conservation essential for climate stability.
Framed as a financial instrument rather than a donation scheme, TFFF aims to raise $125bn by combining public, philanthropic and private investment. The World Bank will serve as its trustee, overseeing how the fund operates.
The fund would invest in sustainable bonds, then channels the returns into payments for forest protection. Countries are then rewarded based on how many hectares of forest they keep intact – with approximately $4 per hectare per year, verified by satellite data. Importantly, 20% of the payouts are reserved for Indigenous peoples and local communities, recognising their vital role as forest stewards.
At COP30, TFFF secured $6.7bn in sponsor capital. While this falls short of the initial "junior" target of $25bn, it's enough to get the fund up and running on a smaller scale. Brazil's Environment Minister, Marina Silva, said the fund has "already started very well even before it officially began."
Still, challenges remain. Some experts caution that with a smaller fund, payments may not be enough to outpace the economic drivers of deforestation. Others have raised questions about the financial model itself, which depends on market returns rather than guaranteed grants.
But even critics agree on one thing: the TFFF is historic. It could transform the economic logic driving deforestation, treating intact rainforest not as a resource to be harvested, but as vital capital to preserve.
If it delivers on its promise, the Tropical Forest Forever Facility could become a game-changer – aligning finance with forest stewardship, and proving that protecting standing forests can pay long-term dividends for people and the planet.
5. Brazil creates 10 Indigenous territories to protect communities and forests
Brazil has announced the creation of 10 new Indigenous territories, including one covering part of the Amazon rainforest. Once enforced, these areas will have their culture and environment protected under Brazilian law.
The move addresses a longstanding source of conflict: Indigenous communities often face violence when defending their territories against cattle ranchers, deforestation and mining operations – sometimes with fatal consequences.
The announcement came as thousands gathered outside the UN's annual climate conference, carrying signs reading "demarcation now" and "we are the answer." This year's COP also featured record representation from Indigenous groups, who participated directly in negotiations on behalf of their communities.
Indigenous leaders rightfully argue their territorial rights are inseparable from climate action. "The traditional way of life of indigenous peoples protects the lands and automatically guarantees global warming will be tackled. Consequently the entire humanity benefits from it," Dinaman Tuxá from the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) told the BBC.
According to a joint study by APIB, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, and the Indigenous Climate Change Committee, the expansion could prevent up to 20% of additional deforestation and reduce carbon emissions by 26% by 2030.
The newly protected areas span hundreds of thousands of hectares and are home to thousands of people. One territory overlaps more than 78% with the Amazon National Park, a biodiversity hotspot crucial for regulating the global climate and storing carbon. With this expansion, Indigenous lands in Brazil now encompass 117.4m hectares – roughly the size of Colombia or about 13.8% of Brazil's territory.
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