Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrived in Belém to rally COP30 delegates toward consensus, as the summit approaches its final days with no resolution on key issues. A call for countries to strengthen their national climate plans has met resistance from some developing countries, who, in a classic catch-22 of climate politics, say they can’t do more without more financial aid from wealthy countries, which are reluctant to commit more aid without stronger plans from recipients. Meanwhile, more than 80 countries have now come out in support of creating a detailed plan to transition the global economy away from fossil fuels.
But the plan still faces opposition from China and Gulf oil producers, among others. Delegates are also caught up in debate over gender identity, with the Vatican, Iran, and others pushing for a narrower definition in a draft Gender Action Plan, which aims to articulate ways in which countries can address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and girls. So far the only thing delegates have been able to agree on is where to host upcoming COPs: In Turkey next year, with Australia serving as the chief mediator, and then likely Ethiopia in 2027.