COP30 and the Urgent Need for Climate Action Reform

Overview of UN Climate Talks in Bonn, Germany

From June 12 to June 26, 2025, the UN climate negotiations in Bonn concluded without significant progress, raising concerns ahead of COP30 scheduled for November 2025 in Belem, Brazil. The talks highlighted ongoing challenges within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), emphasizing the need for urgent reform to address the escalating climate emergency and align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Challenges and Context

• Escalating violations of international law, human rights, and democracy amid worsening climate conditions.
• Contradictions in host country roles, with Germany’s involvement in human rights abuses undermining the legitimacy of the talks.
• Censorship of civil society messages by the UNFCCC Secretariat, particularly regarding the human costs of the Gaza siege.

Rights of Rightsholders and Civil Society Participation

States failed to adequately protect the rights of participants in climate talks, especially the right to peaceful protest. Although there was some acknowledgment of the need to improve visa access and accommodation affordability, no concrete measures were implemented. A positive development was the decision to make the agreement between the COP host country and the UN, which includes essential human rights protections, publicly accessible. Brazil, as COP30 host, is urged to release this agreement early to ensure transparency and safeguard rights.

Gender Justice and Intersectionality

• Despite resistance from some States, progress was made toward a new Gender Action Plan.
• Proposals were introduced to enhance protection for Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders (WEHRDs).
• Continued challenges remain in integrating intersectional and gender-just climate language.

Just Transition and Financial Gaps

Negotiations on a just transition showed some advancement, raising hopes for COP30 to accelerate human rights considerations in the economic transformation needed to phase out fossil fuels. However, unresolved financial commitments from COP29 continue to hinder equitable progress.

Calls for UNFCCC Reform and Legal Accountability

United Call for Urgent Reform

Over 200 civil society and Indigenous Peoples groups, including the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), issued a United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks. The call emphasizes:

1. Addressing root causes of the climate crisis and its impacts on communities.
2. Enhancing accountability, transparency, and effective decision-making.
3. Ending corporate capture of climate negotiations.

Statements from CIEL Representatives

• Lien Vandamme, Senior Campaigner: Highlighted the failure of 30 years of negotiations to deliver climate justice and stressed the need for fossil-free climate multilateralism rooted in justice and legal obligations aligned with the SDGs.
• Erika Lennon, Senior Attorney: Called for addressing conflicts of interest and ending fossil fuel industry influence to enable effective civil society participation and ambitious climate action.
• Camilla Pollera, Program Associate: Noted progress in supporting Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders but expressed concern over pushback against gender-just climate language and the need to maintain momentum toward COP30.

International Courts and State Obligations on Climate Crisis

Upcoming Advisory Opinions

Attention is shifting to international courts ahead of COP30, with two key bodies expected to clarify State obligations related to the climate crisis beyond the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement frameworks:

• Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR): Expected to release a groundbreaking Advisory Opinion on July 3, 2025, affirming States’ obligations under international human rights law in the climate emergency context.
• International Court of Justice (ICJ): Also anticipated to provide guidance on State responsibilities regarding climate change.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

The courts are expected to reinforce:

• The protection of human rights for present and future generations (SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
• State and corporate duties to prevent climate change drivers and remedy its impacts (SDG 13: Climate Action).
• Legal accountability mechanisms that support sustainable development and environmental justice.

Conclusion: COP30 as a Pivotal Moment for Climate Justice and SDGs

COP30 represents a critical opportunity to redefine the rules of international climate negotiations. Under Brazil’s leadership, the conference must prioritize:

1. Binding legal obligations grounded in scientific evidence.
2. Inclusive participation of rightsholders and civil society.
3. Advancement of gender justice and intersectionality.
4. Acceleration of just transition policies and closing finance gaps.
5. Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure a holistic and equitable response to the climate crisis.

Media Contact

Niccolò Sarno, CIEL Global Media Relations: [email protected] | +41 22 506 80 37

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article centers on UN climate talks, the UNFCCC process, and the urgent need to address the climate crisis, directly linking to SDG 13.
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Issues of international law violations, human rights abuses, accountability, transparency, and the role of international courts are highlighted, connecting to SDG 16.
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article discusses gender justice, intersectionality, and protection of Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders, relating to SDG 5.
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • References to just transition, equitable progress, and the rights of vulnerable communities imply links to SDG 10.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The emphasis on multilateralism, international cooperation, and reform of UN climate talks relates to SDG 17.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning (implied by calls for legal obligations and reform of UNFCCC).
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning (implied by emphasis on civil society participation and rights).
2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels (implied by demands for accountability and transparency in climate negotiations).
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making (implied by calls to protect rights of rightsholders and civil society participation).
   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms (implied by censorship issues and calls for public access to agreements).
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making (implied by support for Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders and Gender Action Plan).
   • Target 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women (implied by leadership capacity building).
4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all (implied by focus on just transition and equitable progress).
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.14: Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development (implied by calls for reform and legal obligations in climate governance).
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development (implied by emphasis on multilateralism and international cooperation).

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Indicators related to SDG 13
   • Progress in phasing out fossil fuels (implied by calls for full phaseout and just transition).
   • Number of countries integrating climate change measures into policies and planning (implied by UNFCCC reform and legal obligations).
2. Indicators related to SDG 16
   • Measures of accountability and transparency in climate negotiations (implied by demands for transparency and public access to agreements).
   • Extent of civil society participation and protection of rights in climate talks (implied by concerns over censorship and visa access).
   • Number of human rights violations related to climate action (implied by references to human rights abuses and international law violations).
3. Indicators related to SDG 5
   • Number of Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders supported and protected (implied by initiatives mentioned).
   • Implementation status of Gender Action Plan (implied by ongoing negotiations and proposals).
4. Indicators related to SDG 10
   • Measures of equitable finance and support for vulnerable communities in climate action (implied by finance gap and just transition discussions).
5. Indicators related to SDG 17
   • Level of international cooperation and reform progress in UN climate negotiations (implied by calls for reform and multilateralism).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: ciel.org