Bringing together representatives from one-hundred and ninety-three countries, the 30th United Nations Climate Conference began November 10th, 2025 in Belém, Brazil to work towards a sustainable future. Each year, participating countries meet together to discuss the global climate crisis and the increase in extreme weather events. The UN has stated that 2025 has been one of the three hottest years on record. Even though the United States has historically produced the most carbon pollution, the US did not attend this year’s conference under the new administration. As of January, the US is also not a member of the Paris climate agreement, furthering the detriment of the United States contribution to global carbon emissions and global warming.
Along the border of the Amazon rainforest, the location of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference location is symbolic. An important issue of the meeting is to address the threats to this vital Amazon rainforest and its role in climate regulation. Also being discussed is the now ten-year-old Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to 1.5-2.0 degrees celsius pre-industrialization. Based on current policies, the world will exceed the 1.5 degrees celsius threshold by 2030. As of this past January, the US is not a member of the Paris climate agreement, furthering the detriment of the United States’ contribution to global carbon emissions and global warming.
This is the first conference to acknowledge the general failure to implement policies from previous conferences to prevent global warming. The goals of this conference include implementing previously pledged policies such as the transition from fossil fuels to green fuel, implement plans for deforestation reversal, and to submit the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions. If all members are in agreement on developed implementations and policies, the conference is scheduled to end on November 21st.