Wealthy nations losing enthusiasm for climate action: COP30 chief
Wealthy countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling the climate crisis, while China is forging ahead in the production and use of clean energy, the president of the UN climate talks has said.
Corrêa do Lago, the Brazilian diplomat in charge of the COP30 conference that begins today (10 November) in Belém, said declining commitment from the Global North stands in sharp contrast to the growing momentum across developing nations, reports The Guardian.
"Somehow the reduction in enthusiasm of the global north is showing that the global south is moving," he told reporters in the Amazonian city. He praised China's leadership in renewable energy, noting that the country — the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter — is also the biggest producer and user of low-carbon technology.
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"China is coming up with solutions that are for everyone, not just China," he said. "Solar panels are cheaper and more competitive [than fossil fuels], and that is good for the climate," he added.
The two-week conference brings together delegates from 194 countries to negotiate ways to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement.
The discussions will focus on phasing out fossil fuels, expanding renewable energy, and securing financial assistance for vulnerable countries.
However, current national pledges would still lead to about 2.5°C of warming. "Progress so far has been insufficient," said Ilana Seid, Palau's ambassador to the UN and spokesperson for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). "The 1.5°C target must be our north star."
The Brazilian hosts are prioritising implementation of earlier commitments, such as tripling renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. Yet developing nations are demanding deeper and faster emission cuts, as well as clear climate finance guarantees.
Meanwhile, satellite data from Kayrros shows methane emissions from several major signatories of the 2021 Global Methane Pledge — including the US, Australia, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq — have risen by 8.5% since 2020, undermining global climate goals.
