For the past two weeks, world leaders, policymakers, climate researchers, and climate activists convened in Belém, Brazil for this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties, commonly referred to as COP.
UConn@COP fellows were also in attendance at COP30 to experience the conference firsthand. They shared their initial impressions of the conference through blog posts that can be found on the UConn Office of Sustainability website, with some selections shared here for UConn Today.
10 years since the Paris Climate Change Agreement: COP30 needs to be the COP of Implementation
By Kanika Chaturvedi ’25 (CLAS)
COP30 marks the 10-year anniversary since the Paris Climate Change Agreement was passed. Delegates have been speaking about pushing this year’s COP to be the “COP of Implementation” because of the serious inaction that has been taking place since the Paris Climate Change Agreement. One of the key parts of the agreement was keeping global temperature under 1.5 degrees Celsius. Currently, we are on the cusp of 1.5 degrees Celsius and if current trends continue, this target is unachievable. This is a huge point of discussion at COP30. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are continuously advocating for this goal to not be overlooked and undermined. From what it seems, developed countries do not seem to be too bothered by the fact that this goal is not going to be achieved. In fact, they have shifted their attention to being just below 2 degrees Celsius.
So, why is this problematic? Many SIDS cannot afford the stakes of the climate projections in regard to global temperatures rising to about 2 degrees Celsius. They are barely surviving with current climate trends as of right now. Tuvalu, in particular, gave an extremely powerful speech at a formal high-level COP30 proceeding. Their delegate said, “The 1.5 target is not just a political aspiration but an obligation.” It is a matter that needs urgent attention. If developed countries fail to keep the 1.5 target in mind and if they continue to be greedy with their donations to the Loss and Damage Fund, the sovereign nation of Tuvalu and many other SIDS will cease to exist by 2050. That’s why action needs to take place now.
Stories From COP30 and What I Learned About Our Ocean
By Anagha Payyambally ’27 Ph.D
We wanted to begin COP30 not inside the venue, but by grounding ourselves in the culture, people, and nature of the region. That’s why our group travelled to Mocajuba, Pará, where we met the Amazon river dolphin, the boto, and spent time with local communities, learning about their traditions and enjoying their food. People spoke about the botos with pride, and it was easy to see why. These dolphins are incredibly intelligent and friendly with humans. One story that stayed with me was how they help fishermen by guiding them to fish-rich areas and even forming a boundary to trap the fish. Standing by the river, listening to stories from people who live with the forest and water every day, felt like the right way to enter a climate conference that tried to center local communities and their voices.
My first day at COP30 took place in the Green Zone, where Indigenous communities stood at the center, wearing traditional outfits, selling handmade products, and filling the space with languages and knowledge systems that rarely receive global attention. Almost every event was in Portuguese, created for those who feel the weight of climate change first. It felt honest. It felt necessary.
When I moved into the Blue Zone for the following days, I focused on ocean-climate nexus talks, especially those addressing marine pollution, ecosystem losses, and ocean protection. Each session reminded me how fragile the ocean is and how fast we are losing time. One moment that stayed with me came from Brazilian sailor Torben Grael, a five-time Olympic medalist, who said that when he began sailing 50 years ago, he never saw plastic in the ocean. Today, he sees microplastics everywhere. The heaviness in his voice conveyed more than any graph or dataset.
Across the sessions, the call to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 was repeated again and again, echoing the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework. The newly released Global Tipping Points report was another urgent highlight, especially its warning that coral reefs have crossed a threshold that may not be reversible. Panelists highlighted the need for a Global Coral Reef Summit in 2026 to rally the world around what remains.
The Warzone of COP30 Negotiations
By Claire Lawrence ’26 (CLAS)
When I sat down for my first session of COP watching the delegates at work, I didn’t know what to expect.
What I found was a circle of tables, facing inward, with screens in the middle showing a policy document. One party leads the discussion and would hear out countries as world leaders decide the text, semantics, and phrasing of policy that will impact billions of lives. As I watched the parties work, I was struck by the push and pull of compromise, argument, and defiance. I listened as parties unanimously struck entire paragraphs of text while having unresolved conflict over the wording of a single sentence.
When we prepare for COP, we spend time researching the ins and outs of renewable energy, climate finance, and NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions). What we don’t learn until we step foot in the Blue Zone is the meticulous war being waged inside the conference rooms. Representatives are not just powerful, they are strategic. When they enter a room of delegates leagues apart from them, they have to learn what battles to let go, how to stand firm when it matters the most, and how to account for dozens of other nations doing the same.
This process involved sacrifice. I watched the delegate from Great Britain heave a heavy sigh as she motioned for her contributions to be removed. I watched the understanding dawn on her that the nations would never receive the consensus needed to ratify her statements. I also saw a representative from Sudan stand by keeping a single line from the text, even when the entire room was against him.
As students and young people living in a climate crisis, we expect our passion to take us to the end. We are frustrated when the change we want is given to us in miniscule doses. What I didn’t realize is that the delegates share the same frustration. They want to stand up and shout from the rooftops the same way we do as students. But that is not how policy is made. It is created through carefully learning what battles to lose. Most importantly, it is created through knowing when to let challenges pass and when to stand up and stay standing.
These aren’t skills taught in a class. There is no Negotiations 1010 course offered at UConn. When I return to the states and face my public policy coursework, and hopefully my future career in policy, these skills are going to be vital for my success. I believe that young activists should start honing their communication skills as soon as possible. COP has taught me that to be successful and persuasive, being knowledgeable isn’t always enough. Top-down, end goal thinking, knowing how to hone confidence in discomfort, and knowing when to take a stand will take you far. It is eye opening, especially when coming from a background in activism, a culture shaped in doing and fighting for what is right no matter the drawbacks.
Navigating the Noise at COP30
By Andy Zhang ’26 (CAHNR and CLAS)
These past few days have been amazing! My first days were spent wandering around and feeling a little lost, but once I became familiar with the venue it was exciting to see all the different pavilions. It felt strange to walk through the space and see pavilions for China and India filled with activity, while the United States was essentially entirely absent despite being the largest historical emitter. Within several sessions, it felt frustrating because people talked in circles. The same phrases kept coming up, the same statements about urgency, the same calls to action. Yet it felt like no one wanted to put themselves on the line for the collective wellbeing for change to happen. I found myself wanting more honesty and more direction. It was hard to watch so many people speak passionately without feeling any movement toward concrete solutions. This experience also in many ways highlighted the larger paradox of global climate action. We need a coordinated global response to climate change, but it requires the willingness of countries to participate.
Every nation needs Nationally Determined Contributions and climate goals, yet it must be left to each country to decide how to reach those goals because climate impacts differ so widely. This makes it incredibly difficult to come to a consensus when so many stakeholders have different needs, capacities, and responsibilities. Even with these challenges, I am excited for what is still ahead.
