Posted on November, 24 2025

The global climate summit, COP30, in Belém, Brazil, promised much – but didn’t deliver the decisive steps the world urgently needs. Countries approved a set of modest actions but failed to secure agreements on the most crucial issues. 

Following a year when global temperatures topped 1.5°C for a whole year for the first time, the formal talks concluded without a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels – the single biggest cause of the climate crisis. And despite the summit being held against the backdrop of the Amazon rainforest, there was also no agreement on a roadmap to end deforestation by 2030.  

The most significant formal decision was the approval of a just transition mechanism to strengthen international cooperation and support developing nations through the shift to renewable energy. The final Preamble also included welcome references to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, ocean, and science. 

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Fossil fuels and forests excluded from core texts 

Negotiators were unable to agree on any direct mention of the transition away from fossil fuels in the formal texts, despite support from at least 86 countries. Similarly, the wider political will needed to secure a plan to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 was lacking. 

Responding to this diplomatic impasse, the COP Presidency announced that Brazil would lead international initiatives to develop roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation. These discussions will take place outside the formal negotiations, reporting back at COP31 next year. 

WWF response: A ‘carousel of illusions’ 

WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Lead, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, was sharply critical of the final outcome, stating that the summit delivered “neither a roadmap nor real solutions for the urgent challenges we face”. 

“As COP30 ends, the reality is clear: bold titles and grand promises have not translated into meaningful action,” Pulgar-Vidal said. “Instead, we were taken for a ride on a carousel of illusions – distracted by colourful promises but left with a document that is weak and lacking in substance due to games played by the forces against climate ambition and implementation.”  

“It is a sombre celebration of 10 years of the Paris Agreement,” added Fernanda de Carvalho, WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Head. While welcoming the new just transition mechanism, she also highlighted to lack of progress on adaptation and finance.   

But while the formal outcomes were disappointing, climate action is about more than government talks – and according to Mauricio Voivodic, WWF-Brazil Executive Director, COP30 delivered “important results beyond the official negotiation texts”. 

“The Presidency restructured the Action Agenda and mobilized 117 plans to accelerate large-scale solutions, engaging sectors across Brazil and around the world in a COP marked by the strong inclusion of social groups such as Indigenous peoples and local communities,” Voivodic said. 

Another positive outcome was the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility – the largest fund ever for tropical forest conservation. 

“The energy and commitment shown by so many in civil society, science and frontline communities remind us that real change is still possible,” said Pulgar-Vidal. “We cannot afford more empty gestures. The world needs concrete, implementable action – now more than ever.” 

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WWF at COP30
Climate and Energy