COP30: What happened?
We watched COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with a mix of hope and frustration. The summit delivered some incremental progress but ultimately failed to address the root causes of the crises we face, particularly fossil-fuel-driven plastic production.
The Good News
COP30 did produce some positive outcomes:
- Adaptation finance, for instance, received a welcome boost. Nations pledged to triple funding for climate adaptation by 2035, which will help vulnerable communities cope with the impacts of climate change. There is also a “Just Transition Mechanism” intended to support workers and communities as economies shift toward greener energy sources. These are steps in the right direction, and we welcome them.
- Another encouraging development was the bilateral agreement between Indonesia and the United Kingdom, signed during COP30. This deal commits both countries to accelerate action on plastic pollution, strengthen waste-management systems, and promote circular-economy solutions. It represents a concrete example of international cooperation beyond the broader COP text, showing that individual nations can take meaningful steps to tackle plastics even when global negotiations stall.
- The summit highlighted plastics as part of the broader climate and environmental agenda. The dialogue around circular economies and waste reduction is gaining international traction. This recognition is crucial — plastics are not just a waste problem, they are a fossil-fuel problem, contributing significantly to greenhouse-gas emissions.
The Bad News
Yet for all the applause, COP30 fell short where it mattered most. The final agreement contained no commitment to phase out fossil fuels, the primary source of both carbon emissions and virgin plastic production. This omission is a glaring failure. Plastics are overwhelmingly derived from oil and gas, meaning that as long as fossil-fuel extraction and production continue, plastic pollution and climate change will continue unchecked.
Our analysis of the summit reveals a familiar pattern: countries and interests tied to fossil fuels exerted disproportionate influence over the final text. Petrostates and fossil-fuel lobbyists successfully blocked stronger action, leaving a “roadmap” toward phasing out fossil fuels off the official COP30 agenda.
Why This Matters for Plastics
Plastic pollution and climate change are inseparable. The plastics system is fuelled by fossil fuels, so any credible environmental strategy must address production upstream.
Our Call to Action
COP30 makes one thing clear: managing the symptoms of plastic pollution is no longer enough. Governments must confront the root causes — fossil-fuel extraction and plastic production — head-on.
We urge policymakers to implement:
- Introduce legally binding caps on virgin plastic production, with scheduled reductions year-on-year.
- Stop any new oil projects from going ahead, including ones with licenses.
- Embed plastic production and consumption caps into the UK’s climate strategy, recognising plastics as a major source of fossil fuel demand and emissions.
- Integration of plastics and fossil-fuel reduction into climate strategies, ensuring that pollution and emissions are addressed together.