Author: Shivendra Jha

As the world prepares to meet in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) from 10 to 21 November 2025, the urgency for unified climate action has never been greater. Two years after hosting COP28 in Dubai, where nations forged the historic UAE Consensus to transition away from fossil fuels, the focus now turns to sustaining and scaling that momentum.

The stakes at COP30: Forests, finance, and a just transition

COP30 arrives at a defining moment - marking ten years since the Paris Agreement and serving as a reality check on the world’s ability to keep global warming below 1.5°C.

Hosted in the Amazonian city of Belém, the summit will spotlight themes such as Forests and Oceans, Energy Transition, and Trade and Climate Alignment. Key agenda items include advancing the Mitigation Work Programme initiated at COP26 and reinforced at COP28, alongside discussions on identifying barriers and enablers for emissions reduction.

Central to these negotiations will be climate finance - scaling up the trillions required for adaptation and mitigation. The conference will aim to define a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the expiring USD 100 billion annual finance target and strengthen global trust in delivery mechanisms.

The UAE’s post-COP28 momentum: From consensus to implementation

The UAE Consensus established ambitious global targets - to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, while setting the world’s first Global Goal on Adaptation. The UAE has since positioned itself as a bridge between fossil fuel realities and renewable ambitions.

By 2025, these commitments are translating into tangible progress. The UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy has accelerated green hydrogen, mangrove restoration, and electric mobility initiatives. Over 50% of the national energy mix is now projected to come from clean sources by 2030.

The UAE has also mobilised over USD 100 billion in climate finance through vehicles such as the ALTERRA fund, while domestic firms increasingly issue green bonds and sukuk to fund low-carbon projects.

Why leadership matters: The UAE model as a global blueprint

The UAE’s leadership offers a compelling model for balancing growth with responsibility.

Our Global Sustainability Services Survey found that 87% of companies now consider sustainability integral to their business strategy, and 83% report a competitive advantage from embedding it. The UAE’s regulatory initiatives - from mandatory ESG disclosure in stock exchanges to its new Climate Law - are driving measurable results, especially in the real estate sector, which accounts for 84% of the nation’s emissions reduction target by 2030.

This integration of policy, finance, and private-sector action exemplifies the UAE’s role as a catalyst for practical, scalable climate solutions.

A call to amplify the legacy

COP30 presents an opportunity not just to assess progress but to accelerate implementation. As negotiations in Belém focus on energy transitions and financial flows, the UAE’s example offers a roadmap for inclusive and accountable leadership - one that unites policy with innovation and turns ambition into measurable impact.