Daily report for 20 November 2025

The day will remain in the climate community’s collective memory—not for progress achieved in the negotiations, but for the fire that broke out in one of the pavilions and led to a full evacuation of the venue.

Presidency Consultations

Adoption of the rules of procedure: Liliam Chagas, COP 30 Presidency, proposed to agree to continue applying the draft rules of procedure, with the exception of Rule 42 on voting, unless the COP decides otherwise. She noted that this means the draft rules continue to apply automatically, without the COP needing to agree on it at every session, keeping the door open for future discussions if the COP wishes to do so. Procedurally, the item would be included in future provisional agendas, with the understanding that the matter would be held in abeyance. 

Noting the continued divergence of views, the ARAB GROUP expressed openness to holding the item in abeyance. YOUTH NGOs urged continued discussion, underscoring that majority-based decision making would improve the effectiveness of the process. Responding to CANADA, the Secretariat clarified that, with the item incorporated in future provisional agendas, Parties may decide not to hold the matter in abeyance at any given meeting. After a huddle, the EU called for continued engagement on the matter at COP 31. 

The Presidency will report to the COP on the lack of consensus in the consultations.

Decision-making in the UNFCCC process: Liliam Chagas, COP 30 Presidency, reminded delegates that this matter was first considered at COP 19, building on a proposal by the Russian Federation, Belarus, and Ukraine. She noted that Parties had agreed that discussions on the rules of procedure would continue to be addressed separately. 

The RUSSIAN FEDERATION recalled their proposal was motivated by concerns about the consistency of action under the COP, discrepancies in practices, and the power of presiding officers. The EU noted there has been little engagement on this matter since COP 19 and suggested it may be better considered under the SBI item on arrangements for intergovernmental matters (AIM), which has led to the adoption of substantive conclusions on enhancing the transparency and efficiency of the process. They suggested that, if no agreement is found on this proposal, consideration of the item should be deferred to COP 32. Agreeing with the EU, UKRAINE withdrew their proposal. YOUTH NGOS supported considering the matter under AIM. The RUSSIAN FEDERATION stated the matter deserves its own discussion space, including at COP 31. 

The Presidency will propose that the COP agree to continue consideration of this item at COP 31.

Enhanced engagement of local communities: Marco Túlio Scarpelli Cabral, COP 30 Presidency, invited views on a revised draft text.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ORGANIZATIONS expressed appreciation for the significant improvements made to the text, suggesting minor edits supported by CANADA, the EU, SAUDI ARABIA, the ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES, CHINA, and JAPAN. JAPAN requested clarification about the budgetary implications of holding an in-session workshop during SBSTA 64. The Secretariat noted that the cost of holding such workshops is approximately EUR 100,000. 

The Presidency will forward the decision for adoption by the COP.

Technical-Level Negotiations

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): During the CMP informal consultations, Co-Facilitators Peer Stiansen (Norway) and Alick Muvundika (Zambia) introduced a new, clean draft CMP decision text, explaining it is based on Parties’ views and a submission by a group of Parties. Most Parties, with the exception of the LIKE-MINDED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (LMDCs) and ARAB GROUP, supported the text.

The Co-Facilitators will report back to the Presidency that no agreement could be reached.

Budgetary matters relating to the Kyoto Protocol’s International Transaction Log (ITL): During the CMP informal consultations, Facilitator Abzeita Djigma (Burkina Faso) recalled the status of discussions, noting many Parties support: transferring USD 2 million from the ITL Trust Fund, although the destination is not yet decided; and deleting the placeholder for the amount to be transferred from unspent balances, noting the difficulty of specifying an amount from an unknown balance. She invited Parties to huddle to agree on the destination of the transfer.

Despite the huddle, Parties were still unable to reach a consensus. The EU and SWITZERLAND opposed specifying that an amount would be transferred to support addressing response measures. Most Parties, while preferring to transfer the entire amount of USD 2 million for the development of the Article 6.2 infrastructure, specifically the international registry, expressed flexibility to transfer USD 1.5 million to Article 6.2 and USD 0.5 million to the Trust Fund for Supplementary Activities. They noted that this USD 0.5 million could be used for a range of agenda items, including response measures. The LMDCs reiterated their preference for an equal split of the USD 2 million between Article 6.2 and response measures.

Facilitator Abzeita Djigma will report back to the Presidency that no agreement could be reached.

Mandated Events

High-level Dialogue on Adaptation: On the second day of this mandated event jointly convened by the COP 29 and COP 30 Presidencies, participants reflected on adaptation finance and the implementation of the Framework on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and its targets. Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility, said countries are investing much more in climate-damaging activities than they are spending on preventing and adapting to climate change. He recalled that domestic public expenditure continues to be the main source of climate finance, and highlighted the importance of “political coherence” between different ministries. Achala Abeysinghe, Green Climate Fund, reported that global adaptation finance has declined from 2022 to 2023 and stressed that adaptation finance not restricted to public grants and concessional loans, but can include other financial players. The ensuing discussion highlighted regional and national adaptation experiences and touched upon, among others:

• challenges in accessing, and the quality of, existing adaptation finance;
• whether a new commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2030 is needed or whether last year’s new collective quantified goal on climate finance is sufficient;
• the adoption of indicators to measure progress towards the GGA targets; and
• the role of nature-based solutions in adaptation planning.

Third annual high-level ministerial roundtable on just transition: This mandated event was an opportunity to discuss pathways for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and expectations regarding actionable outcomes from the just transition work programme.

Alicia Bárcena, Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico, urged shifting away from extractivism and injustice. Krzysztof Bolesta, Secretary of State for Climate and Environment, Poland, noted that although just transition is not easy, it is key to climate policy. He highlighted Poland’s experience in shifting jobs from the mining to the renewable energy sector, while more than doubling gross domestic product and becoming a major battery and electric bus manufacturer in Europe.

COP 30 CEO Ana Toni stressed the role of Indigenous Peoples and the need to ensure their participation in the development and implementation of just transition pathways. Noura Hamladji, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary, highlighted the need for fairness in reaping the fruits of green economic development.

Observer constituencies highlighted, among others:

• the need for a mechanism to serve as a permanent institutional home to comprehensively implement the just transition work programme;
• structured dialogues between the UNFCCC, World Trade Organization, and International Labour Organization to work on the trade-environment nexus and workers’ rights;
• the essential role of farmers in food security, environmental management, and rural community well-being, and the need to support them through climate finance and regulatory schemes;
• the role of local governments and municipal authorities in just transition; 
• support for workers in the fossil fuel industry, including reskilling and compensation packages; and
• respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights, including to free, prior, and informed consent and voluntary isolation in the context of mining associated with the energy transition.
• Ministers and delegates further highlighted, among others:
• the role of science, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change providing best available science, and the crucial need to adhere to the 1.5°C goal, especially in light of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the obligations of states in respect of climate change;
• energy transition away from fossil fuels toward renewables, including by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies;
• eradicating energy poverty and ensuring energy security in nationally-determined just transition pathways;
• the non-sectoral nature of the just transition work programme;
• countries’ different starting points and the need to adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and other principles of the Convention, with a call on developed countries to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and net-negative beyond that to free up carbon budget for developing countries;
• the need for means of implementation; and
• the negative impacts of unilateral trade-restrictive measures on just transition in developing countries.

In The Corridors

Scientists and communities on the frontlines have been warning the world for many years of the very real, life-altering impacts of climate change. The Belém Climate Conference has given negotiators a small taste of those impacts. “First flooding and now a fire—what a COP!” noted an astounded delegate, as they evacuated the venue after meters high flames suddenly erupted in a pavilion.

After making their way out through side doors, delegates waited for further instructions in the sweltering heat. As a light tropical rain started drizzling down, participants were relieved to learn that the fire had been successfully put out, and no one had been seriously injured. The incident also reminded participants of their common humanity, as strangers helped those less mobile evacuate, volunteers handed out cans of water, and everyone looked out for colleagues and loved ones. Delegates were eventually instructed to return to their accommodations, pending an update on the resumption of the meeting. “There goes our Article 6 discussion, I guess” noted a carbon market enthusiast—the only issue scheduled to be considered in informal consultations during the afternoon. 

While the Brazilian authorities were sweeping the venue to ensure there is no risk of another flareup in the tent structure that harbors the Conference, the Secretariat was releasing draft decisions on local communities and mountains. “Good to see the stack of decisions ready for adoption by the governing bodies grow,” noted an observer. “But the biggest package has yet to be tied,” they added, referring to the all-encompassing Mutirão decision and its disputed reference to fossil fuel transition roadmaps, “seeing how some groups called for a reset on that.” Digesting the images of the day, many wondered whether the Presidency would manage to harvest fruits from the scorched negotiations grounds any time soon.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin summary and analysis of COP 30 will be available on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, here.