Another failed climate COP with a glimmer of hope at the end

The 30^th Conference of the Parties (COP) has come and gone in Belém, Brazil, in an area of rainforest destroyed specially for the gathering. If you add to that the fire that burnt down the Africa delegations’ tent, the vast number of fossil fuel lobbyists (1600) outnumbering all other delegations except Brazil’s and the fantasists promoting carbon capture and storage (531) the stage was set for this COP to be a further event marking the relentless rise in life destroying atmospheric greenhouse gases.

This report from Olivia Rosane, documents the failure of the final agreement: to mention fossil fuels; disburse sufficient funds to economically poor countries to mitigate environmental deterioration and put in place a just transition to renewable forms of energy; and to halt deforestation. Nevertheless, the author claims that the movement to bypass the blockers, involving indigenous peoples, Pacific Island states, and Countries of the South most affected by climate breakdown, gained strength with the creation of the “Belém Action Mechanism”. The aim is to build up pressure for change outside the constraining influence of regressive members of the UN. A gathering is planned for Columbia in April 2026 to further these efforts. There is widespread recognition that a mass movement is required, a groundswell, to rescue a choking planet. It remains to be seen if this grouping can wield sufficient influence to accelerate its creation.

TB