Can COP30 Avoid The Brutality Of Inaction?

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is fast approaching. Preparations are underway by the incoming COP30 Presidency of Brazil, which has been issuing a series of letters aimed at encouraging all stakeholders, including UNFCCC parties, to effectively implement the Paris Agreement (PA). In one such letter, the Presidency expressed hope to avoid the “brutality of inaction” that has characterized many past COPs. Following the subsidiary bodies’ meetings in Bonn last June (SB62), the UNFCCC also held several online consultations with parties and stakeholders, alongside other mandated events in the run-up to COP30, which takes place in just seven weeks.

- By Mizan R Khan

Three of these mandated events on climate finance (CF) were held at the FAO Headquarters in Rome from September 6-11, 2025. I had the privilege of attending the first event, held on September 6-7, focused on Article 2.1c of the PA, which addresses aligning finance flows with pathways toward low-carbon, climate-resilient development (LCCRD). The event also explored its complementarity with Article 9, which deals with climate finance obligations. This was the sixth, and apparently final, workshop on the issue. Yet the core debates remain unresolved, particularly regarding the interpretation and scope of Article 2.1c. This workshop emphasized stocktaking of both domestic and international actions on CF, as well as reflections on progress since the workshops began in 2023.

Earlier workshops generated ideas on the scope of Article 2.1c, its operationalization, and its relation to Article 9. But consensus remains elusive. Some contours of the debate are clear, but the real test for the COP30 Presidency will be how it initiates the operationalization of Article 2.1c.