What To Know Ahead of COP30

The largest climate event of the year has arrived but what does this mean for us and the fight for climate change? 

Look no further as we have put together your one-stop-shop for knowing the latest about this climate conference. 

What is COP? 

This is the best place to start as you need to know what the event is and what it’s for before you step into the more complicated stuff. 

COP stands for Conference of the Parties. It is an annual event that invites nearly every country in the world to discuss and form a plan to combat the global emergency. This international event is hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as their main 

To put it simply: it’s the UN’s climate change conference. 

This year is the 30th annual conference (COP30) and takes place in Belém, Brazil. 

What Actually Happens at COP?

Over the next two weeks, campaigners, business leaders, scientists and political negotiators will come together to talk about all things climate and environment. Alongside events, protests and youth-led summits, official negotiations take place to come to an agreement to help mitigate the impact of the climate crisis and solve some of the biggest problems. 

One of the most well known conferences is COP21 in Paris (2015). This conference stands out as countries in attendance birthed the Paris Agreement, pledging to limit global warming to “well 

Countries report progress on emissions cuts, revisit their targets, and debate how to finance adaptation in developing nations. Agreements are reached by consensus – meaning every word can be discussed and debated.

Why Brazil?

Hosting the highly covered climate crisis is a big responsibility President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to position Brazil as a climate leader after years of deforestation. 

In an article by The Guardian, the Brazilian President aims to demonstrate that protecting forests and pursuing development can happen together in a “fair and planned way”. Belém, which is located in northern Brazil at the gateway to the Amazon, is perfect location to host this year’s conference to show what is at stake, but also inspire immediate action. 

What Are the Main Issues on the Agenda This Year?

The issues debated often stay the same, but with the location being in Brazil, this acts as a hotspot to further highlight the issues that are affected by the geographical location. 

In many climate debates, the Amazon is seen as the epicenter for habitat protection, biodiversity, rights of indigenous people and food systems so it is to be expected that these issues are going to be hot on the agenda list for the next fortnight. 

Other points that are often discussed are:

• Reducing fossil fuels (no surprise here).
• Staying in the 1.5 threshold - Evidence has shown that this is unlikely as temperatures have increased over the past two consecutive years.
• Finance - covered a lot at COP29 which called on richer countries to help poorer ones.
• And plenty more which can be looked at here. 

Charity Check-in

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article. 

Friends of the Earth. This environmental charity campaigns for solutions to the climate crisis, tackling issues such as air pollution, renewable energy, and protection of nature across the UK. Find out more.

The Climate Coalition. A network of over 130 organisations, this coalition unites voices across the UK to inspire action on climate change and protect what we love from its impacts. Learn more here.

WWF-UK. Part of the global conservation movement, WWF-UK works to safeguard wildlife, reduce carbon emissions, and promote sustainable living to help combat climate change. Support them here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Climate Action.