A procedural impasse is threatening to derail the COP30 climate summit holding in Belem, Brazil, five days into negotiations, with disagreements over which issues deserve priority attention preventing substantive talks from advancing.
At the conference’s opening, delegates moved four contentious topics into a separate “consultation track” after failing to reach consensus on the full agenda. None has progressed since, leaving the summit in limbo as the clock ticks toward its conclusion.
The European Union and Small Island States want formal discussions on the mitigation gap – the shortfall between countries’ current climate plans and what scientists say is needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
Developing nations are demanding that talks focus instead on climate finance commitments from wealthy countries, a discussion richer nations want to avoid.
“Both the mitigation gap and the finance gap must be addressed,” said Mattias Söderberg, global climate lead at DanChurchAid.
“Parties should move out of their fixed positions to unlock this stalemate.”
The standoff comes as climate impacts intensify worldwide and scientists warn time for meaningful action is narrowing rapidly.
Some progress emerged around adaptation finance, with growing support for a proposal from least developed countries to triple current funding commitments. Söderberg called the momentum “great news,” noting adaptation support is crucial for vulnerable communities already experiencing climate damage.
“I do hope that COP30 can deliver an adaptation finance target,” he said.
Separately, attention is turning to Saturday’s scheduled discussion of the Baku-Belém Roadmap, unveiled before the summit as a framework for mobilising $1.3 trillion annually to address climate change. Söderberg said the roadmap “must become a concrete plan to scale up funding in the coming year.”
“Without climate finance, there will be no climate action,” he said.
By Winston Mwale, AfricaBrief