COP30 CEO Ana Toni said Brazil’s president managed to get the 2025 UN climate change conference’s agenda underway, despite facing geopolitical challenges that could halt negotiations.
“In the last four COPs, we were not able to open the agenda on the first day. So this is great news for us because in the current geopolitical moment, we were able to open the agenda,” Toni told a press conference. There are 145 items on the agenda, 20 of which are considered the most “substantive” by the Brazilian Presidency.
For example, some countries may request a re-discussion of the COP30 agenda, which would delay work. The agenda is determined in advance by each country, but it is possible that some countries may request a restart.
“We felt it was a big event. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it was a lot of work,” Toni emphasizes. “Without publishing the agenda, we could not start the technical work on all the mandated agenda items,” he explained.
He also praised the fact that 111 countries have so far submitted NDCs, or climate change commitments made by countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “These numbers show that countries are creating NDCs, making plans and being very committed to the Paris Agreement,” said the COP30 CEO.
194 countries are authorized to participate in the COP30 negotiations, a number that Toni also celebrated. “In other words, almost all countries are here with us, accredited and participating in the negotiations. This shows that the COP has started very well,” he stressed. “We intend to maintain this pace until the end,” he concluded.
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