COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, this November, wrapped up with outcomes that were meaningful in some ways and frustrating in others.
There was a clear shift in the conversations towards people, justice and resilience, which felt overdue and countries backed the idea of tripling adaptation finance by 2035. It’s not a binding promise and the timeline is long, but it at least signals that governments are waking up to the reality that many communities are already dealing with serious climate impacts and need support now, not later.
The summit also introduced a new Just Transition Mechanism. It’s the first time a COP has formally put just-transition principles into its own decision text, which is significant. The mechanism is far from funded or fleshed out, but it sets a direction: that moving to a low-carbon economy has to be done in a way that protects people’s livelihoods, brings workers and communities into the conversation, and respects Indigenous and other marginalised groups. It’s progress, even if it’s more of a starting point than a finished plan.
But COP30 also showed the limits of the process. The negotiations didn’t manage to land a commitment on phasing out fossil fuels, arguably the most important part of any serious climate strategy. A lot of what was agreed, especially around adaptation indicators, is voluntary and non-binding, which means it’ll only matter if governments choose to act on it.
The outcomes reinforce how important it is to have leadership that’s grounded in values and can hold both the social and environmental sides of climate action together. NGOs, INGOs, mission-led companies, funds and philanthropies have an even bigger role to play in showing what fair, climate-aware leadership can look like in practice. That’s where Oxford HR is committed to helping, strengthening leadership to support this.
Get in touch with us to discuss finding and retaining the great people – email Zoe Greenwood at zgreenwood@oxfordhr.com, or book a call with her here.
For more on COP30 we recommend this article from our client Global Canopy.
