Coalition Building Survived; Climate Ambition Did Not at COP30 – A Bellona perspective
Bellona participated actively in COP30 in Belém, Brazil, focusing on key areas including super-pollutants, carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon dioxide removal (CDR), and green steel standards. While the conference saw progress in forging collaborative initiatives, a significant increase in overall climate ambition remained elusive.
A notable growth came on November 14th with the launch of a new global initiative for clean, zero-emission non-road machinery, spearheaded by Norway’s Climate and Surroundings Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen at the Super-Pollutant Solutions Pavilion. Bellona, having advocated for this for nearly a decade, saw Head of Carbon Accounting, Mark Preston aragonès, emphasize the substantial climate benefits of electrification in this sector – reduced emissions, improved air quality, noise reduction, and decreased reliance on fossil fuels. Aragonès underscored the necessity of clear, long-term phase-out policies for conventional machinery, the power of public procurement to drive market shifts, and innovative solutions for managing electricity supply to large machinery fleets.
The following day, November 15th, Bellona Executive Director Jonas M. Helseth participated in an official UNFCCC side event, “What Is the Role of non-state Actors in Delivering CCS, Especially in LATAM Countries?” Helseth highlighted the growing maturity of the CCS debate globally, drawing lessons from Europe’s experience where oil and gas companies initially dominated discussions without prioritizing CO2 storage. He reiterated Bellona’s long-held view of CCS as potentially a “license to operate” and pointed to the EU’s recent legal requirement for petroleum companies to deliver 50 Mt of CO2 storage by 2030 for industrial decarbonization, a move already facing legal challenges from the oil and gas sector.Helseth stressed the importance of societal ownership of the CCS conversation to ensure genuine climate progress.
bellona also focused on the crucial role of cities in advancing carbon removal. On November 19th, speaking on behalf of CityCDR and the UNFCCC Climate Champions, Mark Aragonès participated in the Global CDR Initiative’s event, “Paving the Way for a Regenerative Economy: CDR and Prosperity Beyond Net-Zero.” He emphasized integrating CDR into long-term urban planning, the potential for cities to function as local “carbon sinks,” and the necessity of aligning CDR with emissions reductions to bolster climate adaptation and resilience. (A recording of the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdsA0PW2pD0).
on November 20th, bellona contributed to discussions surrounding the development of a global green steel standard. At an event organized by Solutions for our Climate, ”forging Consensus: the Path to a Global Green Steel Standard,” Mark Aragonès highlighted the methodological complexities in identifying and allocating emissions within the steel industry, noting that certain choices could disproportionately benefit existing players. Despite these challenges, he argued that some form of mutual recognition of standards would be vital to fostering alignment while accommodating regional differences.
COP30 demonstrated a capacity for coalition building and the advancement of specific initiatives. Though, bellona’s participation underscored a concerning lack of increased ambition in overarching climate goals, highlighting the ongoing need for stronger, more decisive action.
