COP30 Update – November 20

Down to the Wire: COP30 Negotiations Continue 

After a fortnight of talks in Belém, COP30 negotiations, originally set to conclude on Friday night, now appear likely to continue into the weekend as key issues remain unresolved. Negotiations entered a pivotal stage as a group of nearly 30 countries indicated they may withhold support for the final outcome unless the text includes a clearer, time-bound roadmap for transitioning away from fossil-fuel production and consumption. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the conference was “down to the wire” and urged countries to “address disinformation aimed at derailing the transition.”

As the day progressed yesterday, a brief evacuation was carried out after a fire occurred in the Blue Zone of the conference centre, temporarily pausing discussions. At the same time, another section of the draft text proposed tripling global adaptation finance by 2030, though it did not specify how contributions would be allocated, leading several developing countries to request further details.  

Belém to the World: Time to Pull the Climate Emergency Brake 

By Martina Otto, Head of the CCAC Secretariat  

Being in the Amazon brought a different clarity to COP30. Here, where shifting rainfall, forest pressures, and vulnerable livelihoods are daily realities, the need for near-term climate action is impossible to ignore. In this setting, methane and other super pollutants stood out as the fastest levers available to slow warming. Thirteen years after 6 countries, convened by UNEP, launched the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, what was once seen as a technical niche quietly became one of the most influential threads running through COP30.

You could feel the shift from the start. At the World Leaders Summit, President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres all pointed to methane as the most immediate way to pull the climate emergency brake. Their message was unmistakable: cutting methane is essential to slowing warming this decade and to protecting communities on the frontlines. The incoming G7 Presidency is set to make methane a clear pillar on the margins of G7 meetings ahead

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Photo credit: Zé Américo and Eusouhands

Across two weeks, methane and super pollutants were everywhere, including side events on waste, agriculture, food systems, fossil fuels, and clean air. Countries increasingly see rapid reductions in these pollutants as central to stabilizing the climate in the near term, but importantly to deliver economic benefits, create jobs, deliver major health, food security, and energy security benefits. This agenda is part and parcel to delivering development gains.

The Super Pollutant Solutions Pavilion, hosted by the Global Methane Hub, the Clean Air Fund, and the Super Pollutant Action Alliance, became a gathering point for this momentum. Policymakers, practitioners, and experts compared practical experiences from rice fields and livestock systems to cooling networks, landfills, open burning reduction, and new MRV tools. The conversations were steady, grounded, and focused on scaling solutions that already exist. A tight knit community is emerging, with CCAC as its backbone.  

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Photo credit: Zé Américo and Eusouhands

This energy carried into a series of announcements that together formed a clear near-term climate action package, in the spirit of this COP30, the COP of implementation and getting the job done together - Mutirao. The Methane and Other Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases Summit, co-hosted by Brazil, China, and the United Kingdom, sharpened the focus on what can be delivered this decade and on the need for better data and stronger policy alignment.

The launch of the new CCAC Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator gave that conversation a direct path to implementation. Announced by Brazil’s Minister Marina Silva and the UK’s Secretary Ed Miliband, the Accelerator is a multi-year drive to fast-track deep cuts in methane, HFCs, and other super pollutants, with the aim of supporting 30 developing countries by 2030. At its heart are new National Super Pollutant Units, modeled on an implementation set up we know has worked under the Montreal Protocol, with the successful Ozone Units at the heart, to embed sustained, cross-sectoral action within government institutions. The first recipient cohort, Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, and South Africa, will receive $USD 25 million in initial support. By 2030, the Accelerator aims to mobilize 150 million dollars to deliver coordinated, high-impact implementation that aligns with national priorities.

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Photo credit: Zé Américo and Eusouhands

Momentum continued in the energy sector. The UK-led statement on Drastically Reducing Methane in the Global Fossil Fuel Sector signals a collective move toward near-zero methane intensity, based on shared responsibility and a mix of regulation, market levers and credible measurement and reporting. It marks an important step in defining what responsible production must look like in the years ahead. The statement now includes Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, Norway, the Federated States of Micronesia, Senegal, and the United Kingdom, with support from the CCAC Secretariat, European Commission, the IEA, OLADE.

Cities and waste partners advanced the NOW! (No Organic Waste) Initiative, building on the LOW Methane Initiative and the COP29 ROW Declaration, which is now supported by 65 countries. Organic waste methane remains one of the most immediate and widely accessible opportunities to cut emissions while improving food systems, public health, and community livelihoods. Cities highlighted local economy benefits garnered and inclusion of informal workers already. Strong economic returns include lowering landfill and waste management costs, creating local jobs, and opening new circular economy markets. The message from Belém was clear: with focused support, cities can move quickly and deliver climate and economic gains at the same time. 

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Photo credit: Zé Américo and Eusouhands

Midway through COP30, the Global Methane Status Report provided the factual backbone, showing where action is advancing and where major gaps remain. We are moving in the right direction, but it is a wake-up call to do more. While emissions are still far too high, the report underscores a simple truth: cost-effective and proven solutions are available in every major sector.

Agriculture moved forward as well. The CCAC Farmers’ Initiative for Resilient and Sustainable Transformations (FIRST) initiative, launched at the FAST Partnership Ministerial, focuses on solutions that help farmers reduce losses and increase yields, improve soil health, lower input costs, and strengthen resilience to climate shocks, ensuring that climate action also delivers direct, tangible benefits on the ground. Building on this, the UK-led Belém Declaration on Fertilisers highlighted the need for nutrient efficiency, cleaner fertiliser production, and practical support for farmers. FAST Ministers agreed that climate action in agriculture must build resilience and boost productivity.

Across all these developments, a single narrative crystallized. Energy, waste, agriculture, cooling, finance, and food systems are no longer separate conversations. They are increasingly understood as interconnected components of super pollutant action, and countries are treating them that way. The tone at COP30 was pragmatic and focused, shaped by the recognition that time is short, but solutions are ready to scale.

Leaving Belém, the feeling is not closure but clarity. COP30 revealed a community that is shifting decisively toward implementation, learning from experience, expanding partnerships, and accelerating practical measures that can slow warming quickly. Thirteen years after the CCAC’s founding, the super pollutant agenda has never been more relevant. The task now is to carry this momentum forward, guided by the lessons and partnerships strengthened here in the Amazon. 

Watch Martina's Video Message