A key event in the international climate policy calendar, the latest conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) took place from the 10th to the 21st of November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, overshoot of the 1.5C target is likely, and many were disappointed with the lack of progress made at COP to get back on track as climate ambitions lag.
Several EEAC members attended COP30, and in this internal event Dr. Franziska Tanneberger and Prof. Dr. Mark Lawrence of the RNE and Alexis Dall'Asta of the FRDO-CFDD shared their insights and experiences with the Network, to help determine the implications for the work of national advisory councils. We also benefitted from behind-the-scenes insights from Davi Neustein, COP30 project manager for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and advisor to the COP30 Special Envoy for Bioeconomy. The floor was then opened for an informal discussion to mark the 10 year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and critically evaluate the utility of the COP as a policy instrument.
The key takeaways from the webinar were:
Despite negotiations being complicated (and for some disappointing), the final deal is not the only outcome of the summit; a greater focus should be placed on the 29 decisions which were approved unanimously and coalition actions such as the fossil fuel roadmap and the Tropical Forest Forever Facility.
The COP provides a valuable opportunity for politics, science, business, and civil society to interact.
For advisory councils, COPs are an opportunity to share their expertise, engage with the wider scientific community and civil society, and make valuable connections.