Looking back on COP30, Islamic Relief’s Senior Policy Advisor on Poverty Reduction, Jamie Williams, sees a bright light amid watered-down decisions.

International action is vital to address climate breakdown. The Conference of Parties, COP, is the negotiation that leads to that action. Without it there would be little chance that the world could be protected from cataclysmic climate disaster. It is that important.

The absolute need to end the use of coal, oil and gas was the most contentious issue at COP30. This was what led to the all-night sessions in a scramble to save the conference from failure, and endangered the climate convention and its 10-years-old Paris Agreement. 

The outcome didn’t mention fossil fuel but at the very last moment wording on ‘the Dubai Consensus’ emerged. Faintly and weakly, that reference to the 2023 COP agreement to ‘transition away from fossil fuels’ was enough to save the day, and save the cause of international action.

Compromise leading to weak decisions

In another room, parties were at loggerheads about how poor and middle-income countries were to pay for adapting to the climate crisis. Rich countries (designated as ‘developed’ by the convention) had previously agreed to double their contributions, but the minimum need now is for that to be trebled again. Rich countries’ insistence on keeping such commitments out of the decision led to other countries blocking progress in defining and measuring what adaptation might involve. 

Deadlock loomed, but again, beyond the last moment, and in this case far away at a meeting of the G20 countries in South Africa, a compromise emerged. The final text was vague, calling for ‘efforts’ rather than insisting on a tripling of contributions. But it was enough to let through the adaptation items, and was another close escape from complete failure.

With compromise leading to weak decisions, there was little to reflect the urgency of the climate crisis which is already damaging the livelihoods, health and lives of people all over the world. 

One bright light was the adoption at COP30 of a process for ‘just transition’. This is designed to ensure that workers and their families, dependent on energy, agriculture, and industry, are not penalised, and benefit from the changes needed to reduce emissions and keep the world safe.    

Just transition showed what multilateralism can do. Consensus may not be the most efficient and effective method, but it remains the only one which gives power to small nations and keep the big ones in check. The COP is an example of the coming together which is so essential to limit climate chaos and destruction, and it has survived to continue the fight.

Islamic Relief will be at the next meetings in June, and at COP31 in Türkiye at the end of 2026. If you’d to support our climate work with and on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable and marginalised families and communities, donate today.