The world stands at a defining crossroads from an environmental standpoint. Extreme weather events have become all too common, an ever-present reality destabilising food systems, displacing communities, and questioning the future of mankind and the planet. To discuss and implement measures to minimise climate change and avoid further environmental damage, world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organisations, and civil society leaders are expected to come up with implementation pathways at the 30th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP).
The conference in Belém, Brazil is being held at a time when both science and experience make one truth clear: the window for limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is rapidly closing. The host city, Belém, at the heart of the Amazon, serves as a symbolic and strategic backdrop, reminding the world that nature’s frontlines must be preserved.
Amid recurring natural disasters, energy transition bottlenecks, and unmet financial commitments from prior summits, expectations are rising. For developing nations such as India, COP30 represents both a test of global solidarity and an opportunity to demand fairness and accountability in the world’s collective climate effort. But before we delve into this year’s agenda and expectations, let’s take a look at COP29’s hits and misses.
Takeaways from COP29: Progress and Gaps
The legacy of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, offers mixed reflections. While it reaffirmed the urgency of the net-zero transition, tangible progress on finance and fossil fuel phase-down commitments remained fragmented. The Loss and Damage Fund, established as a historic mechanism to support climate-vulnerable nations, still faces questions about accessibility, transparency, and adequacy.
The first Global Stocktake (GST) underscored both progress and peril. It issued a historic call for nations to transition away from fossil fuels. Developed countries strongly advocated for explicit commitments to phase down fossil fuel consumption, while developing nations, particularly those dependent on traditional energy systems, emphasised financing and capacity-building as non-negotiable prerequisites. Despite the urgency, consensus eluded negotiators, leaving implementation plans vague and timelines volatile.
The result? A credibility gap. Nations have collectively recognised the climate crisis but haven’t collectively acted with sufficient pace or justice. For developing economies, especially across Asia and Africa, this gap translates to constrained access to green finance, rising adaptation costs, and slower technological diffusion. COP30, therefore, is expected to centre on measurable accountability frameworks, ensuring that promises made are verifiably fulfilled.
Through Developing World’s Lens
From New Delhi to Nairobi, the call from the Global South for climate justice to underpin climate action is growing stronger. Developing nations like India have long argued that equitable financing, fair technology transfer, and a just transition remain the foundation of real progress. India’s position entering COP30 is particularly significant. Having expanded its renewable capacity rapidly and launched major initiatives in green hydrogen, electric mobility, and circular economy reforms, India stands as both a leader and a voice of equity in global climate diplomacy.
At COP29, India rejected the proposed climate finance deal of $300 billion annually by 2035, describing it as inadequate and misaligned with the actual scale of climate costs. Yet this rejection was also a statement of principle, asserting that climate responsibility must correlate with historical emissions and capacity. India’s leadership in promoting disaster-resilient infrastructure and industry transition stands as a testament to its pragmatic yet ambitious vision. For COP30, the expectation is partnership and collaborative investments that enable sustainable growth while advancing global climate goals.
Role of Business and Industry
Climate action cannot solely rely on governments. Businesses and industries now wield transformative potential to define the next phase of progress. Across sectors, enterprises are integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments with sharper intent, seeking sustainability not as an afterthought but a competitive advantage. The shift toward net-zero operations, carbon reporting, and responsible sourcing has become an essential business mandate.
Circular economy models are playing a pivotal role in this alignment. The reinvention of industrial systems, i.e., reducing waste, recycling materials, and optimising resources, is becoming central to climate resilience. In this context, sustainable e-waste management and recycling ecosystems deserve specific attention. Responsible manufacturing, repair, and recovery of materials are not peripheral initiatives; they are pillars of industrial adaptation to climate realities. As supply chains evolve, circularity will be the key to sustainability that scales.
Expectations and Agenda for COP30
COP30’s action plan is structured around six thematic pillars: energy transition, nature and forestry, agriculture and food systems, cities and infrastructure, human and social development, and the so-called “enablers”, finance, technology, and capacity-building. Framed after the Global Stocktake, these pillars aim to capture the full spectrum of climate priorities, integrating immediate mitigation strategies with deeper structural transformation.
Some of the central issues expected to dominate the panels are:
- Strengthening global adaptation frameworks and resilience in climate-vulnerable regions.
- Establishing concrete mechanisms for climate finance delivery, with predictable and accessible flows to developing nations.
- Scaling renewable energy deployment while phasing down fossil fuel reliance.
- Advancing a transparent and equitable global carbon market.
- Instituting accountability metrics for developed countries to track delivery against their climate pledges.
Above all, there is intense anticipation that the conference will move beyond declarations toward execution, shifting global attention from rhetoric to measurable outcomes.
A Call to Action
As the world’s leaders and scientists gather in Belém, one message must resound clearly: this is the decade that will define humanity’s climate legacy. The task before COP30 is not merely to reaffirm the path, but to accelerate its pace and broaden its participation. Governments must legislate ambition; businesses must operationalise sustainability; and individuals must internalise responsibility.
This is truly the moment for global alignment. The transformation ahead requires an ecosystem united by purpose and guided by accountability. The world’s future resilience depends on collaboration at every level, from policymakers to entrepreneurs to everyday citizens.
While the challenge appears daunting, the potential for a collective breakthrough is equally powerful. By embracing sustainable, circular, and equitable solutions, nations can turn the tide from crisis to opportunity. COP30 will test global resolve, but it also holds the promise of redefining what leadership in the age of climate urgency truly means.
Yashraj Bhardwaj is Co-Founder and CSO at Plannex Recycling.
