The COP30 climate summit opened in Belem, Brazil, with immediate diplomatic friction as developing countries pushed for climate finance commitments to be formally placed on the negotiating agenda. The dispute, centred on Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, was resolved before the formal opening ceremony, but it highlighted the deep and persistent divide between developed and developing nations. Climate finance quickly emerged as the central issue shaping the tone and expectations for the summit.

Article 9.1 requires developed nations to provide financial resources to support mitigation and adaptation efforts in developing countries. The G77 bloc and other developing nations argued that continued shortfalls and unpredictability in finance made its inclusion imperative. Developed nations, including the EU, resisted elevating Article 9.1 to the formal agenda. A compromise moved the issue to Presidency consultations instead. A similar deadlock had delayed the June Bonn climate meeting, underscoring the entrenched nature of the debate.

Indian experts noted that India has taken a strong position on climate finance since COP29 in Baku. According to Avantika Goswami of the Centre for Science and Environment, India must continue pressing for clarity and adequacy in finance flow commitments, which remain insufficient across adaptation, mitigation, and the loss and damage fund that has yet to disburse money.

The prominence of finance expectations is further amplified by the “Baku to Belem Roadmap to USD 1.3T,” released jointly by the COP29 (Azerbaijan) and COP30 (Brazil) Presidencies on November 5. The roadmap proposes mobilising USD 1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for developing nations from international sources. Despite its ambition, the document will not be part of the formal negotiating agenda, reflecting a disconnect between aspirational planning and binding commitments.

During the official handover, outgoing COP29 president Mukhtar Babayev transferred leadership to COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago. Babayev urged countries to deliver on past promises and presented what he described as an “invoice” for donors, outlining essential milestones. These include doubling adaptation finance by the end of 2025, tripling contributions to UN climate funds by 2030—especially in line with demands from small island states—and contributing toward a USD 300 billion finance goal for 2035. Babayev stressed that just as countries must publish 10-year plans via their NDCs and NAPs, donors must also publish their decade-long climate finance delivery plans.

Earlier, Lago told the media that wealthy nations have lost momentum in addressing the climate crisis. He contrasted this with China’s rapid expansion in clean energy production and deployment. Observers noted that China, despite being the world’s largest emitter, may now be positioning itself as a leader in climate action due to its economic stake in the global green transition and the perceived withdrawal of the United States from climate leadership.

Pooja Vijay Ramamurthi of the Centre for Social and Economic Progress highlighted President Xi Jinping’s renewed messaging in 2025 on China’s commitment to global climate goals. Xi has criticised protectionist trade measures that restrict the circulation of green technologies, signalling that China is preparing to dominate the clean energy economy.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva used his opening speech to link climate action with global peace and economic rationality. He argued that investing USD 1.3 trillion annually to address the climate crisis is far more cost-effective than spending larger sums on military conflicts. Lula framed COP30 as an opportunity to revive the enthusiasm that marked the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, which introduced concepts such as sustainable development and common but differentiated responsibilities. He stressed that hosting COP30 brings the climate convention back “to its home country” and expressed hope that Belem would become the world’s capital for climate ambition over the coming two weeks.

UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell, addressing delegates, said the Paris Agreement is working because global emissions trajectories have begun bending downward. He stressed, however, that progress remains far too slow. Stiell called for urgent acceleration in emissions reduction and resilience-building to limit global warming to 1.5°C after potential short-term overshoot. He warned that waiting for late-submitted NDCs would only deepen the gap between targets and actual progress. Stiell emphasised the economic consequences of inaction, citing droughts, crop failures, price shocks, and climate-driven displacement.

He pointed to clear trends in global energy markets: solar and wind power now constitute the lowest-cost sources of electricity in 90% of the world, renewables have surpassed coal as the largest energy source, and global investment in clean energy continues to rise—outpacing fossil fuel investment two to one.

A new factsheet from the Centre for Science and Environment revealed stark divides in the latest round of NDC submissions. Between November 2024 and October 2025, 65 countries accounting for over 30% of global emissions filed updated pledges. Of these, 52 were developing countries and 13 developed countries. Developing nation pledges emphasised climate finance access, expansion of renewable energy, adaptation measures, loss and damage priorities, and just transition. Developed nations focused largely on domestic emission cuts, net-zero pathways, technological innovation, and policy instruments. Crucially, 32 developing countries made their mitigation targets conditional on receiving adequate international finance, reinforcing the importance of Article 9.1.

The official COP30 agenda includes negotiations on the Global Goal on Adaptation, the UAE Just Transition Work Programme, and the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme. While climate finance is not formally listed as a standalone agenda item, it remains the dominant theme shaping negotiations, expectations, and geopolitical alignments as COP30 enters its early days.