Rapid Readout: What Congress Needs to Know About COP30: Outcomes and What’s Next

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a Rapid Readout about the major outcomes from this year’s United Nations climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil (COP30). This Readout unpacked where key negotiations landed on issues including next steps on international climate finance, climate adaptation metrics, the intersection of climate and trade, and the implementation of carbon markets. 

The Readout reviewed the status of updated country commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase adaptation efforts and the next steps in the global effort to assess progress towards collective climate goals. Speakers unpacked the U.S. presence at COP30, including federal, subnational, and private sector roles in the proceedings; highlighted next steps following COP30; and explained what it all means for U.S. climate policy.

View the full briefing series at eesi.org/cop30-briefings.

Highlights

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The 2025 UN climate summit (COP30) produced the Belém Political Package, which primarily includes ways for countries to continue dialogue on addressing the “ambition gap” in nationally determined contributions, finance flows from developed countries to developing countries, global adaptation indicators, the trade-climate nexus, and a just transition to clean energy. Other key announcements made at COP30 include the launch of Brazil’s Tropical Forest Forever Facility, the launch of a global carbon market coalition to harmonize carbon pricing, a Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management, and a Blue Package on ocean action. Roadmaps to phase out fossil fuels and to reverse deforestation were not included in the final COP30 package. Instead, the COP30 Presidency pledged to develop a fossil fuel roadmap over the course of the next year, including through a conference co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in April 2026 followed by a progress report at COP31.  The Local Leaders Forum brought together more than 3,000 subnational leaders from around the world. Discussions focused on methane reduction, nature-based solutions for climate resilience, and accessing international climate finance at the local level. Local government representatives also made a formal pitch to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to strengthen multilevel governance.   The United States as a party to the UNFCCC has not been the most consistent partner, but the federal government has been present and made important contributions to the negotiations up until COP30. There is a role for Congress as well as states, tribes, cities, and other stakeholders in international climate diplomacy. This engagement continues to grow in importance as conversations increasingly focus on concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve adaptation and resilience.