COP30: 5 Ways to Close the Climate Gap and Deliver Real Results
By: Abudu Olalekan
It’s August again. The heat feels like a thick blanket. Streets hum, fans whir, the air tastes like steel. People whisper about floods, fires, failed harvests. Yet here we are—2025, the turning point for climate action.
Why 2025? Because that’s when nations update their NDCs under the Paris Agreement. The world watches. The world holds its breath.
Think back to 2015. Ten years ago we hurtled toward 4°C warming—a sci‑fi nightmare. The Paris Agreement changed the tune. Now, NDCs and policies put us on a 2.3‑2.8°C path. Modest, but far from the 1.5°C guardrail that limits worst damage.
We’re not there yet. We’re still above the safe line. Some sectors—renewables, electric transport, land‑use reforms—are moving fast. Overall pace is dangerously slow. Every fraction of a degree matters; each avoided degree saves lives, farms, cities.
Enter COP30, slated for Belém, Brazil. It’s more than a conference; it’s a moment for leaders to stare the gap and say, “We can do better.” So here are five bold moves that can turn promise into progress.
First: Reaffirm the 1.5°C goal and commission a global roadmap. Simple idea, strong signal. By calling the 1.5°C target still the North Star, COP30 can send clear political intent. Then, a “Global Roadmap for Accelerated Implementation” maps policies, financing, tech pathways. It should pull from the Global Stocktake and NDC Synthesis, spotlight quick wins—tripling renewables, doubling efficiency—plus longer‑term shifts in transport, forests, methane. A high‑level dialogue at COP31 could wrap it into an actionable plan.
Second: Accelerate near‑term sectoral actions for 2030. Nations can volunteer sectoral strategies turning NDCs into concrete projects. Think of a country saying, “We’ll add X GW solar by 2030,” or “We’ll cut transport emissions Y percent.” These should feed the UNFCCC’s Global Climate Action Portal so the world sees progress and pushes each other.
Third: Mobilise long‑term strategies for equitable, resilient transitions to net‑zero. Long‑term low‑emission development strategies (LT‑LEDS) bridge today’s pledges to mid‑century net‑zero goals. About 80 countries have drafted them, but fewer than ten have updated, and over a hundred have none. COP30 can call for every nation to submit or revise an LT‑LED by COP31, turning paperwork into real sectoral transformation.
Fourth: Strengthen intergovernmental initiatives. Outside formal UNFCCC talks, coalitions on forests, clean energy, climate finance already work. COP30 should weave them into the official Action Agenda, give them a platform, demand regular reporting. The more we know what works, the faster we can scale it.
Fifth: Deliver a credible finance package. Money talks. A clear “Baku‑to‑Belém” roadmap for scaling climate finance for developing nations would be a game‑changer. Country platforms that blend domestic and international cash, lower cost of capital, de‑risk projects can attract private investors. If leaders show cash is ready, ambition will follow.
Money alone won’t solve it, but it oils the gears. Private investors are eyeing green bonds. Local banks are setting up climate desks. Even small towns are launching community solar co‑ops. When cash flows, projects move from paper to reality. That’s why a clear finance framework matters.
Now, let’s be honest: these five points aren’t magic spells. They’re a roadmap—steps that, if leaders commit, can close the gap. Climate crisis won’t wait for perfect conditions. It needs bold action now. COP30 is the stage where the world can step up, deliver, finally walk the talk.
Originally posted on Reportersroom, now republished on Reportersroom. For more climate insight, keep reading reportersroom.com/cop30-plan.
