COP30 of the UNFCCC has concluded in Belém with countries adopting the Belém package. Read here to know the Key Outcomes, India’s Position, and Global Gaps in the outcome.
The 30th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP30), held in Belém, Brazil, marked a significant moment in global climate diplomacy.
Countries adopted the Belém Package, a collection of 29 negotiated decisions intended to shift the world from discussion to delivery on climate commitments.
While COP30 introduced several new mechanisms for tracking progress and strengthening cooperation, it struggled to secure breakthroughs on the phase-out of fossil fuels and climate finance, issues central to developing countries.
Read: COP29
COP30: UN Climate Change Conference 2025
Belém Package
The central outcome of COP30, the Belém Package, is a comprehensive bundle of decisions aimed at:
- Strengthening implementation of climate pledges
- Scaling climate finance (though without firm commitments)
- Advancing just transitions
- Tracking mitigation actions
- Enhancing adaptation planning
- Promoting gender-responsive climate governance
It signals a shift from negotiating new targets to ensuring current commitments are actually delivered.
Global Mutirão Agreement
COP30 concluded with the Global Mutirão Agreement, a political consensus prioritising cooperation and implementation over new legally binding targets.
- It reflects a compromise between developed and developing countries.
- Focuses on deliverability and practical cooperation rather than raising ambition.
Brazil also launched the Global Mutirão Platform, a digital hub designed to close the implementation gap in areas such as energy, finance, and trade.
Just Transition Mechanism (Belém Action Mechanism)
COP30 introduced a new Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) to support:
- Worker transition
- Economic diversification
- Skills and capacity-building
However, it lacks new or guaranteed financing, limiting its real-world impact.
Global Implementation Tracker & Belém Mission to 1.5°C
These tools were launched to:
- Track whether countries’ climate actions are aligned with 1.5°C pathways
- Monitor NDC delivery and gaps
- Strengthen accountability
This marks a global shift from setting targets to monitoring implementation.
Adaptation Outcomes
- National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Implementation Alliance: Launched to accelerate adaptation planning and implementation, especially in vulnerable nations.
- Adaptation Finance: Countries agreed to triple adaptation finance by 2030 compared to 2025 levels. However, no clarity was provided on who will contribute or how funds will be mobilised.
- Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): Parties finalised the Baku Adaptation Roadmap and adopted 59 voluntary indicators to track adaptation progress.
Belem Health Action Plan
Launched on COP30’s Health Day, this initiative aims to:
- Strengthen global health systems
- Address climate-linked health risks
- Promote health equity and community-led resilience
Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF)
Brazil unveiled the TFFF, a USD 125 billion payment-for-performance system incentivising tropical forest conservation using satellite monitoring.
- Brazil committed the first USD 1 billion.
- Countries are rewarded based on actual preservation outcomes.
Belém 4x Pledge
A pledge to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035 (from 2024 levels), monitored annually by the IEA.
Covers hydrogen, biofuels, biogas, and e-fuels, with flexibility for national contexts.
Belém Declaration on Hunger, Poverty & People-Centred Action
Signed by 43 countries + EU, the declaration:
- Places vulnerable communities at the centre of climate planning
- Prioritises adaptation, social protection, crop insurance, and local resilience
- Reaffirms mitigation commitments, but with a development-driven focus
Belém Gender Action Plan (GAP)
Aims to:
- Ensure gender-responsive climate action
- Enhance the participation of women, especially from vulnerable communities, across climate governance structures
India’s Position at COP30
Climate Finance as a Legal Obligation: India, along with the BASIC and LMDC groups, stressed:
- Climate finance must be predictable, scaled-up, and grant-based
- Developed countries must fulfil their obligations under Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement
- Need for a universally accepted definition of climate finance
India emphasised:
- Developing countries need USD 310–365 billion annually by 2035 for adaptation (2025 Adaptation Gap Report)
- Current flows are only USD 26 billion
- Glasgow’s USD 40 billion adaptation finance goal for 2025 will not be met
Equity and Climate Justice: India reiterated the principles of:
- CBDR-RC
- Historical responsibility of developed nations
- Full implementation of UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement
India strongly opposed unilateral trade measures like the EU’s CBAM, calling them discriminatory.
Support for Adaptation & Vulnerable Nations: India stressed:
- Adaptation must be equal in priority to mitigation
- Vulnerable developing nations need predictable support
- Need for resilience-building, early-warning systems, and climate-resilient infrastructure
Major Shortcomings of COP30
Despite major announcements, COP30 fell short on several critical areas:
No Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Agreement: The final text avoided any commitment to a fossil fuel phase-out or phase-down roadmap.
Weak Climate Finance Progress: No clarity on:
- Fulfilling Article 9.1
- Mobilising the USD 1.3 trillion climate finance goal
- Source of funds for tripling adaptation finance
Delayed NDC Submissions & Ambition Gap: Several major emitters, including India, did not submit updated NDCs, weakening global mitigation momentum.
Implementation Gap Remains: Pledges remain voluntary, with:
- No timelines
- No enforcement mechanisms
- No accountability frameworks
Just Transition Mechanism Without Funding: The new mechanism lacks dedicated resources, limiting its potential in fossil-fuel-dependent economies.
UNFCCC COP: Background
COP is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC and was established by the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
- Strengthened by:
- COP is supported by SBI and SBSTA.
- Also functions as:
- CMP: meeting under the Kyoto Protocol
- CMA: meeting under the Paris Agreement
- Hosting rotates across five UN regions.
- COP31: Türkiye (2026)
- COP32: Ethiopia (2027)
- India has expressed interest in hosting COP33 (2028).
Significance of COP for India
COP provides India with a platform to:
- Showcase progress on its NDCs
- Push for equitable climate finance
- Advocate for developing nations under alliances like ISA and LMDC
- Secure support for adaptation, disaster resilience, and Loss & Damage funding
- Promote initiatives like LiFE, Green Hydrogen, and Mangrove Alliance for Climate
Conclusion
COP30 delivered several important initiatives, ranging from adaptation alliances to just transition frameworks and forest conservation funds.
Yet, its major shortcomings on fossil fuel phase-out and climate finance highlight deep divides between the Global North and the Global South.
India used the platform to emphasise equity, climate justice, and finance as binding obligations, not voluntary pledges.
With major decisions deferred, COP31 will be crucial for converting the Belém commitments into concrete, credible action needed to keep 1.5°C within reach.
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