Currently, 198 countries participate in the UNFCCC<\/a>, making it one of the largest multilateral bodies in the United Nations system. These countries meet at COPs to negotiate how to limit global heating, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and support communities already affected by climate impacts.<\/p>\n\n Inside a COP you will find world leaders, government negotiators, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth activists, journalists and, yes, lobbyists. It is complicated, messy and often frustrating. But there is no other global forum where both the smallest island nations<\/a> and the world\u2019s largest economies sit down at the same table to hammer out agreements.<\/p>\n\n Think of it as a giant global group project. Not everyone does their homework, a few actively try to sabotage the assignment, but we still need everyone involved to pass the course.<\/p>\n\n Climate chaos does not stop at borders. Droughts in one region can drive up global food prices. Melting glaciers in the Himalayas threaten communities thousands of kilometres downstream. Heatwaves in South Asia kill people<\/a> who did little to cause the crisis.<\/p>\n\n This is why COPs exist. They are the only place where governments can, at least in theory, cooperate to solve a problem that no single country can fix alone<\/a>. Multilateralism might sound like a wonky word, but it simply means countries working together. And when it comes to climate, global problems need global solutions.<\/p>\n\n Without COPs, the alternative is each country fending for itself in a planetary emergency. We have already seen how dangerous that can be.<\/p>\n\n It is easy to feel cynical, but history shows COPs can deliver when pressure builds.<\/p>\n\n None of these victories happened by chance. They came from people power: Indigenous leadership, climate-vulnerable countries pushing back, campaigners refusing to give up, and millions of supporters demanding action.<\/p>\n\n We\u2019ll be real: COPs are often criticised as talk shops where corporate lobbyists outnumber climate-vulnerable countries. At COP28, fossil fuel lobbyists actually outnumbered almost every national delegation<\/a>. Meat and dairy corporations also showed up to defend factory farming<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n This is why civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth and activists need to be inside the halls. They are there to hold governments accountable, to challenge greenwash, and to amplify voices that too often go unheard.<\/p>\n\n Greenpeace goes to COPs not because we believe politicians will suddenly save the day, but because without relentless pressure, progress is even less likely. It\u2019s people power that makes change possible.<\/p>\n\n Here is one striking number. According to the UN, current national climate pledges<\/a> still put us on track for up to 3.1\u00b0C of global warming this century. But to achieve the 1.5\u00b0C limit<\/a>, countries need to fully implement and strengthen their pledges, ensuring they cut emissions by about 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels<\/a> and go even further by 2035.<\/p>\n\n That is the difference between widespread collapse of ecosystems and a fighting chance to stabilise the climate. It shows why COPs are still needed. The decisions made there can literally add or remove gigatonnes of carbon pollution from the atmosphere. The difference is life-changing for millions of people, for forests, for biodiversity, and for every future generation.<\/p>\n\n This year\u2019s COP, the 30th meeting, will take place in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil, at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest. That alone makes it significant. The Amazon is home to extraordinary biodiversity and millions of people, including many Indigenous communities<\/a>. It is also one of the planet\u2019s most important carbon sinks, absorbing billions of tonnes of CO\u2082 every year. Scientists warn the Amazon is nearing a tipping point, where it could start releasing more carbon than it stores.<\/p>\n\n COP30 will also take place 10 years since the Paris Agreement was reached, representing a key assessment moment. Governments are expected to bring stronger climate pledges aligned with the 1.5\u00b0C limit<\/a>, the dangerous threshold scientists warn must not be reached. In plain language: this is the year when leaders must step up to the challenge Paris laid down.<\/p>\n\n The stakes could not be higher. COP30 is the moment for governments to show courage rather than failure. It\u2019s time to move from negotiation to implementation.<\/p>\n\n And while mistrust is understandable, hope is vital. Change does not come from leaders alone, it comes from people acting everywhere: marching in the streets, voting, suing polluters, protecting forests, sharing their stories, pushing for justice.<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2025\/10\/5484a6fd-screen-shot-2025-10-29-at-10.39.59-am-1024x731.png\")
2. Why COPs matter for global solutions<\/h2>\n\n
3. What COPs have achieved so far<\/h2>\n\n
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4. COPs, lobbyists and people power<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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5. One COP fact that shows why they matter<\/h2>\n\n
Why COP30 is critical<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
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