As most world leaders, or at least their governmental representatives, attend parts of COP30, the news about the changing environment is far from good. Satellite images, for example, reveal the fastest Antarctic glacier retreat ever (Hektoria Glacier’s sudden eight-kilometre collapse).
Change abound
Elsewhere, melting ice, collapsing ice shelves, and disrupted ocean circulation threaten sea levels, ecosystems, and climate stability.
Our planet’s climate is undergoing change. Earth’s climate balance is not simply governed by the slow weathering of silicate rocks, which capture carbon and stabilise temperature over aeons. New research reveals that biological and oceanic feedback loops—especially involving algae, phosphorus, and oxygen—can swing the planet’s temperature far more dramatically.
Scientists have published the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) safely stored underground through Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The first annual report by a new collaboration, the London Register of Subsurface CO₂ Storage, reveals that over 383 million tonnes of carbon dioxide have been removed from the atmosphere by CCS since 1996.
Saudi Arabia called out
Hence, COP30, which started on 10 November and ends on 21 November, is coming at a particularly precarious time for climate action. The conference has also struggled with support, with only sixty world leaders attending. U.S. President Donald Trump was an unsurprising absentee at COP30, having at the UN General Assembly last month branded climate change a “con job”.
With those leaders who have attended, things have not always been harmonious. Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore has accused the Saudi delegation at COP30 of “flexing its muscles” in discussions regarding how to move away from oil and gas. He reportedly told the Financial Times that “Saudi Arabia appears to be determined to veto the effort to solve the climate crisis, only to protect their lavish income from selling the fossil fuels that are the principal cause of the climate crisis.”
There have also been a lot of protests. Cristiane Puyanawa, an indigenous protester, told Reuters: “Our land and our forest are not commodities. Respect nature and the peoples who live in the forest.”
Nations making change
Some countries have made clear climate impacting commitments. Four examples of positive news reveal how nations can make a positive impact.
Beginning with coal giant South Korea. The country has pledged to ditch the dirtiest fossil fuel. The pledge commits to retiring 62 coal plants over the next 15 years. Forty have already confirmed closure dates.
A group called the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition, which is planning to tax premium air tickets and private jets, said that Djibouti, Nigeria and South Sudan were joining the effort, which already includes France, Spain, Kenya and Barbados.
The European Union’s climate chief Wopke Hoekstra told COP30 it was time to impose the broadest possible carbon pricing scheme, defending an issue several countries oppose over fears about its potential economic effects.
Finally, in an interview with the Guardian, Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has encouraged countries to create a roadmap to move away from fossil fuels but did not commit Brazil to taking part. She noted that “The map is an answer to our scientific knowledge [of the climate crisis]. It is an ethical answer.”
What’s next?
To close out the conference, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to arrive to COP30 on Wednesday to rally consensus among parties at the summit ahead of Friday’s final scheduled session.
