COP30 shows Paris pact is delivering: UNEP Chief

Amid heightened geopolitical tensions, COP30 concluded with talks in Brazil demonstrating that the Paris Agreement is “working and delivering results”, according to Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Under-Secretary-General.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to set nationally determined contributions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, along with provisions for climate finance, adaptation and technological support for developing nations.

“At the gateway to the Amazon, COP30 took place as geopolitical tensions continue to rise. Achieving progress in such uncertain and challenging times is never guaranteed, yet the talks in Belém have shown that the Paris Agreement is working and delivering results — including a call to triple adaptation finance by 2035, a just transition mechanism to ensure the emerging green economy benefits everyone and new dialogues on how trade can support climate-resilient economic transformation and how to integrate mountain protection into climate policy,” she said.

She added that as escalating climate impacts spare no nation, countries must better finance, implement and prioritise adaptation efforts.

“Keeping 1.5°C within reach requires us to accelerate the era of implementation at an unprecedented rate, so we can deliver the benefits people deserve: affordable clean energy, good jobs, clean air and a safer, more resilient future for all,” Andersen said.

She noted that COP30 reinforced global momentum to transition away from fossil fuels, as agreed in Dubai at COP28 in 2023.

“The Action Agenda — the foundation of such an inclusive COP under the Brazil presidency, which saw unprecedented indigenous peoples’ leadership from the Amazon and across the world — shows that momentum is coming from all fronts: businesses, cities and regions, local communities, civil society, women, people of African descent, youth and many more,” she said.