Beyond COP30: Turning Climate Promises into Permanent Progress

Hosted in the heart of the Amazon, COP30 in Belém forced a global reckoning with the distance between political promises and the reality of a warming planet. But now the world is left with a familiar question: how do we actually move the needle on the ground?

In the months leading up to COP30, the Columbia Global Centers hosted the Road to COP30 series, bringing together Columbia scholars and regional experts to discuss the practical and local demands of communities around the world affected by climate change.

Now, some of those same experts reflect on the outcomes of COP30 and share the essential lessons and next steps needed to turn the momentum of Belém into a better future for the planet.

Making Progress Permanent

“The most important next step is to strengthen regulatory frameworks to turn climate ambition into durable action. Around the world, climate policy often fluctuates with changes in government priorities, particularly where it relies on discretionary measures rather than binding law. A solid legal foundation is therefore essential to ensure effectiveness and continuity. Put another way, countries should anchor their climate agendas in legally binding frameworks and institutional safeguards that ensure resilience to political cycles and enable sustained progress.”

— Robert Currie Ríos, (Columbia Law School, LL.M. '13) professor of Environmental Law UDD and UNAB, former Head of Legislation for Chile’s Ministry of the Environment.

Watch the Santiago Global Center's Road to COP30 event

Prioritizing Equity and Grassroots Action

“We need to implement actions and build effective financing mechanisms for those at the grassroots level, sustaining the ecosystem. It's true that we've made a lot of progress, but for the challenges ahead, we need to ensure that people are at the center of climate solutions…. because caring for the climate is caring for people, and to strengthen this vision we need to have goals and strategies connected to the demands of the territories and ensure that climate solutions advance alongside the strengthening of the rights of the most vulnerable populations."

— Karla Braga, UN Youth Ambassador, Executive Director at COJOVEM Institute

Watch the Rio Global Center’s Road to COP30 event

“COP30 produced some familiar political dynamics that are often seen in the COP space between developed and developing countries, but it also saw a renewed role of civil society participation with the successful push for a new mechanism to coordinate global just transition efforts. Some other promising areas of work produced include a work program to discuss finance under Article 9, a new series of dialogues on trade and climate, and a parallel process outside the COP to explore a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuel.”

— Avantika Goswami, (Columbia Climate School, M.S. ‘17) Climate Change Program Manager at the Centre for Science and Environment

Watch the Mumbai Center’s Road to COP30 event

The Mechanics of Global Cooperation

"What we can learn from COP is not only about China's planned positioning at COP itself, but what China's experience shows about how to accomplish the goals that have been repeatedly affirmed at the previous COPs, and also what the role of international collaboration can look like."

— Lisa Sachs, Director of Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Watch the Beijing Center’s Road to COP30 event

“Although the outcomes of COP30 leave something to be desired in terms of global ambitions and commitments, we must stay focused on the local solutions that can drive cross-border collaboration and innovation, particularly on adaptation. Whether it's climate-smart agriculture in the Jordan Valley, or e-mobility in Petra, Jordan, and countries of the region are well-positioned to share our stories of climate resilience with the world. Today, more than ever, the need for south-south cooperation and knowledge transfer is just as important as facilitating exchanges between north and south. We need to turn the climate crisis into an opportunity for local economic development, meaningful international cooperation and partnerships with the private sector, underpinned by a transparent and accessible international climate finance framework.”

— Shada El-Sharif, founder and senior adviser at SustainMENA

Watch the Amman Center’s Road to COP30 event

While COP30 has concluded, the dialogue continues. Revisit the conversations that shaped our journey to Belém and help inform the path forward.

Watch all of the Columbia Global Center’s Road to COP30 events.