COP30: is climate diplomacy dead?

From ending conflicts to agreeing trade deals, diplomacy has long been seen as the way to reach consensus and trigger action. Therefore, it’s no surprise that COPs have been seen by many as the way to plot a route to global decarbonisation. But what have they really achieved? And did this year’s COP30 in Brazil meet expectations?

Undeniably, COP30 will take place against a challenging geopolitical background, with the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement again. However, while much of the Western world questions whether to continue at pace with the energy transition, China is seizing the initiative, adding more solar and wind capacity than the rest of the world combined.

Chinese investment in renewables is hardly the result of diplomatic pressure. Does this demonstrate that the economic case is a more compelling incentive to decarbonise than any that could be made round the negotiating tables at COP? Join us…