May 23, 2025
In November 2025, the city of Belém in northern Brazil will host the thirtieth session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP30. Heads of States, national negotiators, climate scientists, industry leaders, and civil society actors will gather once again – this time in the heart of the Amazon basin – to set the course for global climate action at a time of increasing urgency.
The stakes could hardly be higher. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the past ten years have been the warmest on record globally, with 2024 registering as the hottest year ever.
This warming trend has had profound consequences across the world. For instance, nearly 18 million hectares burned in Canada’s record-breaking wildfire season; catastrophic floods in Libya that claimed over 10,000 lives; and prolonged droughts in the Horn of Africa pushing millions toward famine.
The impacts of climate change are now part of a daily reality for many. It intersects with public health, food security, energy systems, and national economic activities. As the international community prepares for the upcoming COP30, it is worth revisiting a few core concepts that shape the global climate dialogue: greenhouse gases, the 1.5°C target, net zero, the Paris Agreement, and the role of innovation in turning ambition into action.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), are naturally occurring compounds in Earth’s atmosphere.
They trap heat and keep the planet warm enough to sustain life. Without them, average global temperatures would decline to –18°C. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, Earth maintains a much more hospitable average of 15°C which helps sustain human life.
However, this balance is delicate. Since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, human activities, such as the large-scale burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have significantly increased GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. CO₂ in 2023 was measured at 151% of pre-industrial levels, and CH₄ was measured as 265% of pre/industrial levels.
This enhanced greenhouse effect is the primary driver of anthropogenic (or human-induced) climate change.
Since pre-industrial times, Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by approximately 1.2°C. While this figure may not seem very big, it does not account for the cascading impacts of climate change, such as the growing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and slow-onset changes such as sea-level rise and biodiversity loss. For instance, almost 60% of the world’s ocean surface experienced at least one spell of marine heatwaves in 2021, which profoundly impacted marine life.
Scientists warn that surpassing a 1.5°C increase in global temperature could push the climate system past a tipping point. This includes the risk of irreversible glacier melt or large-scale thawing of permafrost, ground that has been frozen for at least two consecutive years, which could dramatically accelerate global warming and make adaptation vastly more difficult.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the highest decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and was established in 1992. It meets annually to review the implementation of the convention. These annual meetings are where countries take stock of progress, negotiate future actions, and update their commitments to global climate action.
From the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement, COP negotiations have shaped the evolution of global climate governance. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, was a treaty that legally bound developed countries to reduce GHG emissions. The Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21 in 2015, builds on the Kyoto Protocol by involving all countries (both developed and developing), in setting voluntary climate targets. It is the central framework guiding global efforts to address climate change.
The core objective of the Paris Agreement is to keep the rise in global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.
Each country sets its own emissions reduction targets and the measures it will take to meet these goals, also known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and reports progress through a system of transparency and global stocktaking.
The upcoming COP30 in Belém will be a pivotal moment for countries to deliver on promises made at previous COPs in Baku, Dubai and Glasgow, and to increase their ambition levels in updated NDC submissions until 2035, aligned with the global 1.5°C goal.
A 1.5°C pathway refers to a science-based trajectory for global GHG emissions that aims to limit warming to no more than 1.5°C. This goal was emphasized at COP26 in Glasgow, where Parties reaffirmed their commitment to “keep 1.5 alive.”
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an intergovernmental body of the United Nations, staying on a 1.5°C pathway requires cutting global emissions by about 43% by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels), and reaching net zero around mid-century.
Achieving this would demand immediate transformations across energy systems, transport, buildings, agriculture, and industry.
“Net zero” is achieved when the amount of GHGs emitted into the atmosphere equals the amount removed. This balance can be struck by reducing emissions as much as possible. It could, for instance, be through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and adopting more sustainable practices. However, according to current NDC pledges, we are not on track to reach net zero.
Nevertheless, net zero has become a cornerstone of climate strategies globally, as 107 countries, responsible for approximately 82% of GHG emissions, have pledged to reach this goal. This policy aligns with the scientific consensus that achieving net zero is the only viable route to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Mitigating and adapting to climate change depends not only on political will, but also on the availability and deployment of technologies that can reduce GHG emissions and strengthen resilience. This includes a wide range of technologies from solar panels to climate-smart agriculture, and everything in between.
WIPO GREEN is a marketplace for green technologies and plays a vital role in this transformation. By connecting technology providers with seekers around the world, WIPO GREEN accelerates the diffusion of innovative solutions that support climate action.
The platform also facilitates licensing partnerships, showcases practical case studies, and promotes inclusive innovation by helping developing countries access and implement climate-friendly technologies.
As the world looks to COP30 for clear progress on climate action, technologies in the WIPO GREEN database of green technologies, experts, and needs offer pathways to move from commitments to action. WIPO Green facilitates collaboration across borders and sectors, helping ensure that green innovation can reaches the people and places that need it most.