COP30 CEO: We need a better strategy for the transition away from fossil fuels

Brazil is preparing to host COP30 in Belém. The main topics will be climate action finance, biodiversity and the energy transition. 

Every year, COP is traditionally the biggest climate event of the year. This year, the Conference of the Parties to the international climate convention and the Paris Agreement will take place in Brazil. Preparations for the conference were reported by Reccessary.  With Ana Toni as the conference’s CEO, the summit is expected to put the priorities of the Global South at the forefront of international climate diplomacy.

The conference will run from 10 to 21 November and will be held in the Amazon region for the first time. According to Toni, a key item on the agenda will be ensuring delivery of the financial target agreed at COP29: USD 300 billion a year in public climate finance by 2035, followed by USD 1.3 trillion in private investment.

Brazil’s National Secretary for Climate Change and COP30 CEO Ana Toni highlights three priorities for developing countries: adaptation, nature protection and accelerating the implementation of commitments. She says adaptation is particularly urgent for the Global South and requires financing, technology transfer and capacity-building. Nature protection, especially in the Amazon, is directly linked to climate protection. Above all, Toni insists that decisions made at previous conferences—ending deforestation, tripling renewable energy and transitioning away from fossil fuels—must now be implemented urgently.

The energy transition remains complex, especially for countries that still depend on fossil fuel revenues. Although Brazilian President Lula da Silva has acknowledged that the country will continue producing fossil fuels for export, Toni stresses that Brazil, like every other country, must develop strategies to reduce its dependence on conventional fuels. The shift away from fossil fuels must be enshrined in binding national climate plans (NDCs). Countries are required to update these plans regularly.

Financing remains a central topic at this year’s COP. Despite the recent increase in military spending, COP30 will press for the fulfilment of financial commitments already agreed. Consultations between finance ministers aimed at developing a robust plan to mobilise USD 1.3 trillion are reportedly already underway.