PARLIAMENTARIANS@COP30 Newsletter | 27 January 2025, Volume 5 Issue 1

Welcome to the January issue of our multilingual Parliamentarians@COP30 newsletter, prepared by GLOBE Legislators serving as the UNFCCC Focal Point for the world’s parliamentary constituency. Our work supports legislators to deliver on their Paris Agreement (and related) climate commitments, and to prepare for and engage effectively at COP30.

This year, GLOBE is adding another language– Portuguese– to our newsletters for ease of access for Brazilian colleagues. For 2025, the bimonthy newsletter will be available in:  English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
 
We are proud to work closely with the COP28-COP29-COP30 Presidencies, brought together as the first such Troika, to better coordinate across the Presidencies and support Mission 1.5C.

Contents

1. UN/COP30 Presidency Updates
2. Global updates
3. Tracking Parliamentary Climate Actions
4. Parliamentary network reports
5. Have your say/Support us/Contact us

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

If you missed the COP29 Parliamentary Pavilion (which was livestreamed) or wish to review some of the events, click on the Parliamentary Pavilion playlist here. Photos from the Pavilion events can be viewed on Flickr here.

Date Fixed for COP30

The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) will take place from November 10–21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil. The conference will include key sessions such as the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), the 20th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP20), the 7th Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA7), and the 63rd Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies, Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA63) and Implementation (SBI63). More here

Brazil Announces COP30 President-designate

CCD COP16 Concludes: Key Takeaways

COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 14, 2024, marked significant milestones in addressing land degradation and drought. With over 20,000 participants, it was the largest and most inclusive UNCCD conference ever held. Key takeaways include: $12.15B pledged to support 80 vulnerable countries through the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership; Business4Land initiative saw 400+ companies joining conversations on sustainable finance, ESG and land restoration; launch of the AI-powered Drought Observatory to revolutionize drought monitoring and adaptation; focus on women and youth as key drivers of change through gender-responsive and youth-led initiatives, and highlight of science-driven urgency, with 77.6% of Earth’s land now drier than 30 years ago. More here

Brazil Preparing Belém for COP30

Preparations are in top gear, as Brazil prepares to host the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, from November 10-21, 2025. The Brazilian Government has invested approximately BRL 4.7 billion in preparations for the event, including funds from the General Budget, Brazil’s Development Bank (BNDES), and Itaipu, to cater for the over 60,000 delegates expected at the event. The investment will translate into a series of projects to meet the growing demand for transportation, accommodation, and adequate venues for the summit. More here

90 Parties Submit First Biennial Transparency Report

Ninety Parties to the Paris Agreement have submitted their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasizing the commitment of nations to advance the goals of the Paris Agreement. This includes 57 developing countries who are the most vulnerable to climate change. BTR, a key component of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), details the progress of nations in implementing the Paris Agreement, and is a vital enabling tool for all governments, providing crucial data to inform decision-making, design stronger climate policies over time and achieve broader development goals. More here.

US Sets New National Climate Goals

The outgone U.S administration led by President Joe Biden, prior to the inauguration of President Trump, made several climate change commitments. Early in his tenure, President Biden set a bold Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030. But, before leaving office, President Biden led the US to make another commitment in line with the call for Parties to the UNFCCC to submit their NDCs 3.0. This new NDC is even more ambitious with a revised target of 61% - 66% reduction by 2035, despite the anticipated shift in policy priorities under President Trump which will put climate action on the back burner. John Podesta, Biden’s top climate adviser, during a call with reporters, expressed confidence in America’s ability to rally around this new climate goal through the actions of the subnational and the private sector regardless of federal policy shifts. More here

Climate Change Takes Centre Stage at WEF2025

IRENA15A Held in Abu Dhabi

Trump Withdraws the US from the Paris Agreement for the Second Time

President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement for the second time. Trump took this action a few hours after he was sworn in for a second term. He also signed a letter to the United Nations notifying them of his intent to withdraw from the landmark agreement which allows nations to provide targets to cut down their emissions. President Trump’s order states that the Paris Agreement is among a number of international agreements that do not reflect the US’s values. More here

Bloomberg to Fund UN Climate Body after President Trump’s Paris Exit

The Bloomberg foundation has pledged financial support to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), stepping in to fill the funding gap left by President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement. In a statement, Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire founder of the foundation and UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambitions and Solutions, reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to upholding the US’ climate commitments just like it did during President Trump’s first tenure. More here

What did COP29 Deliver and What’s Next for MPs?

Following the conclusion of the 29th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, we take a look at what was agreed to during this important conference and what is next for Members of Parliament. We have divided what COP29 delivered into the “Official Work Programme” and the “Presidency Action Agenda”:

What next for Members of Parliament? We outline the following next steps for MPs post-COP29 and leading up to COP30:

Parliaments Debate COP29 Outcomes

On 26 November, 2024, Members of the European Parliament held a debate on the outcomes of the 29th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP29) with the aim of assessing implications for international climate diplomacy. Recall that the EU Parliament delegation, led by MEP Lidia Peireira was in Baku from 18-22 November, 2024. The focus of the debate was “ to provide an overview of current progress on the Paris Agreement and agree on new financial resources to support global climate action.” Watch here.  

Legislators Brainstorm on Legislative Pathways for the UAE Consensus

Members of Parliament at the 2025 IRENA’s Legislators Forum which took place in Abu Dhabi, brainstormed on how renewable and efficient energy can be integrated into country-level policies to attain national climate commitments and the UAE Consensus agreed to at COP28. The session, which was moderated by John Defterios, featured opening remarks by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)’s Francesco La Camera and the Vice President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Dr. Ali Al Nuaimi. Watch the session here.

GLOBE Holds COP29 Debrief at the House of Commons

On Monday, 20 January, 2025, GLOBE Legislators convened a key post-COP29 event, "Reflections on COP29 & Climate Action in a Year of Uncertainty", at the House of Commons, London. The event featured presentations from a host country and parliamentary perspective with Dr Fariz Ismailzade MP, Member of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan and Malini Mehra, CEO of GLOBE Legislators. The event was chaired by Hon. Barry Gardiner MP, Member of Parliament for Brent West, Member, Environment Audit Committee, with contributions from Baroness Helene Hayman CBE, from Peers for the Planet. The event was covered in the Azerbaijani national news. More here. 

UAE Parliament Calls for Legislative Action to Accelerate Energy Transition

A member of the Federal National Council (Parliament of the United Arab Emirates), Dr Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, has stressed that the climate crises being felt all over the world calls for urgent legislative actions to advance pathways to reduced emissions. Al Nuaimi stated this during the 2025 IRENA Legislators Forum in Abu Dhabi. Highlighting that the Global Stocktake revealed a huge gap between current national climate commitments and required commitments, Nuaimi stated that energy transition offers a solution. Dr Nuaimi who underscored the important role of legislators as those who draft laws, called on them to leverage that to incentivize investments in renewable energy. In her intervention, another member of the UAE Parliament, Meera Sultan Al Suwaidi, stated that the progress being made by the UAE in the field of renewable energy was a product of vision. She therefore called on legislators to be visionary. More here.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Commits to Improved Climate Action

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) has reiterated its commitment to enhanced parliamentary action on climate change, within the region. This follows from the participation of the Assembly at COP29. PAM said that looking ahead to 2025, it is committed "to further engage with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and advancing global climate action in preparation for COP30, to reinforce its parliamentary dimension and bring forward its Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf perspective and concerns." More here.

Parliamentary Network Reports

2025 Dates for Parliamentary Group Webinars and Newsletters Announced

Dates for the Parliamentary Group’s monthly “Parliamentarians@COP30” webinar have been announced by GLOBE Legislators. As with previous years, there will be Morning and Afternoon sessions. The webinars serve as platforms for information sharing, planning and coordination by members of parliament, staff and parliamentary organisations for COP30 and related processes to inform and support parliamentary engagement. To register, please email  <focalpoint@globelegislators.org>.

In the same vein, the dates for the multilingual Parliamentarians@COP30 newsletter have been announced. E-mail <focalpoint@globelegislators.org> to share any updates you wish to be added to the newsletters. See the dates below:

South Asian Regional Parliamentary Forum Launched

The multi-party South Asian Regional Parliamentary Forum (SARPF) was launched in New Delhi, India on 18 December, 2024. SARPF aims to serve as a pivotal platform for mobilising political will for South Asian regional energy cooperation by facilitating substantive discussions and collaboration amongst parliamentarians across all party lines. Comprised of more than 30 MPs from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, SARPF will engender exchange of best practices and articulation of joint policy concerns at the regional level, and regional representation at the international level. Read more about them here.

ParlAmericas Initiates Post-COP29 Action Points for MPs

ParlAmericas has called on Members of Parliament under its umbrella to take strategic steps towards boosting legislative climate action post-COP29. This was contained in a post-COP29 Call to Action issued by the organisation in December, 2024. Accordingly, they have outlined the following as the action points for Members of Parliament: request that governments present the national commitments made at COP29 in the parliament’s plenary;assess whether climate legislation and policies are gender-sensitive; inquire if their countries are on track to meet its own national climate and environmental objectives; request an evaluation of current climate and environmentally-related legislation and national plans; etc. More here.

IPU Launch Video Series to Guide Parliamentary Action on Climate Change

The IPU, with support from ASU Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, has launched a series of videos on key climate topics to support parliaments around the world in advancing climate action. The series addresses topics such as climate science, global climate governance, the role of the private sector, just transitions, and tools for effective climate action. More here

GLOBE tracks parliamentary engagements in the UNFCCC process on an ongoing basis. We would like to hear from you on your parliamentary engagement on climate change. Please contact  <focalpoint@globelegislators.org> We look forward to hearing from you with your news and views on how parliaments are impacting the climate agenda.

GLOBE Legislators is an international charity registered in Belgium. We work in a cross-party and non-partisan manner to ensure that elected representatives are aware of and engaged in key international processes such as the United Nations conference of parties (COPs) on climate change, biodiversity and desertification. Since 2021, GLOBE has served as the UNFCCC Focal Point for the Parliamentary Group, providing a range of services to help inform and organise the global parliamentary constituency. We seek to do the same for the other Rio Conventions and key international institutions and processes.  As a non-profit organisation our work relies on public support and donations. If you would like to support our work, kindly Donate using our Paypal account: the beneficiary is <secretariat@globelegislators.org>

Please contact us with your news, views, and information about parliaments and climate action, including sharing any Hearings, reports, articles and blogs you may have written. We look forward to hearing from you through  focalpoint@globelegislators.org.

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