Hopes for a strong foundation for COP30 were dashed when the mid-year negotiations struggled to agree on key points — adaptation, finance, and the implementation of energy and nature-related commitments adopted in 2023. However, there was a welcome signal of progress in the just transition text that could be transformative, if the right options are adopted at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
“Belém must be a course-correction moment, and the world is counting on the Brazilian Presidency and the political will of all countries to deliver that,” said WWF Global Climate and Energy Policy Lead Fernanda de Carvalho. “In Bonn, we needed to see developed countries step up and put much-needed momentum into international climate talks. But progress in key areas like the transition away from fossil fuels and ending deforestation did not materialise.”
The two-day agenda fight at the beginning of the session delayed the start of negotiations and set the tone for the rest of the meeting. “The lack of urgency in this meeting was discernable and disconcerting. We cannot afford to let the 1.5°C goal slip away. The most vulnerable communities and ecosystems will face even greater climate impacts,” de Carvalho added.
This year, all countries are expected to submit new national climate plans, but so far only 25 countries have submitted them — and most of these are developing countries. WWF is calling on countries to step up and deliver 1.5 °C-aligned climate plans over the next few months. “We simply cannot afford to delay this crucial climate action,” said de Carvalho.
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The pivotal issue of climate finance cast a long shadow over the talks in Bonn. As WWF-Germany’s Climate Policy Advisor Marianne Lotz explains:
“We wanted progress on the Baku to Belém roadmap to $1.3 trillion, including its design and vision for what will happen to it after COP30. But some rich countries are cutting back on their climate finance commitments, making it more difficult to reach even the inadequate targets agreed in Baku last year. We are dangerously close to reaching a standstill.”
It took the world 10 years to agree on a framework for a global goal on adaptation. In Bonn, we needed to move towards agreement on clear indicators, and more importantly on adaptation finance. But Parties could not align on key issues.
If these issues are not resolved at COP30, the world is at risk of failing the communities and places who are most vulnerable to climate impacts.
Despite these challenges, there was good progress in the just transition negotiations. The final text from Bonn has options that can respond well to the challenges faced by communities and workers affected by the systemic and societal transitions needed to respond to the climate crisis, including shifting away from fossil fuels.
The overall weak progress in Bonn means a steeper uphill climb in Belém to deliver the climate turnaround the world urgently needs.
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This article was originally published by WWF and is republished here as part of an editorial collaboration with WWF.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: 5th day of Bonn Climate Change Conference, June 21, 2025. Cover Photo Credit: Cop30 Brasil Amazônia.
