The leaders' general plenary session, which marked the opening of COP 30. Alex Ferro/COP 30, CC BY-NC-NDSince 6 November 2025, Belém has become the centre of attention for the entire planet for two weeks. COP 30 is bringing together a record number of delegations, dozens of heads of state and intense public participation. President Lula transferred the government to the capital of Pará, symbolising Brazil’s commitment to the Amazon and the future of the global climate.In the three zones of the conference — Blue, Green and Yellow (the latter dedicated to parallel activities and the mobilisation of society) — the debates are intense. But what is at stake goes far beyond the climate crisis: it is about building a new model of civilisation, capable of meeting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring a dignified future for the next generations.The current socio-economic model, which has brought us to this point, shows clear signs of exhaustion. It concentrates income in an obscene manner, deepens inequalities and consumes the planet’s finite resources at an unsustainable rate. Tackling the climate emergency is therefore only the first step. The real challenge is to rethink the way we produce, consume and live — and, above all, to redefine what we mean by progress.The five essential areas that need to be addressedWhat, after all, cannot be left out of the COP 30 discussions and decisions? There is a minimum set of commitments that the conference needs to address seriously. It is hoped that the debates will advance, at least, in these five essential areas:Promote a just transition and accelerated transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energies, reorganising the productive bases so that low-carbon economies become the rule — rather than the exception — in all regions of the planet.End deforestation of tropical forests by 2030, ensuring robust and permanent mechanisms for the protection, monitoring and valuation of these ecosystems, which are essential to global climate balance.Consolidate effective climate finance instruments, ensuring that developing countries have sufficient resources to carry out their energy transition and meet mitigation and adaptation targets.Implement social and economic policies for adaptation to the new climate, with a special focus on the most vulnerable populations, who are already facing the impacts of change in their daily lives.Strengthen multilateralism. The climate crisis knows no borders. Only strong international cooperation, based on trust, science and binding agreements, will enable us to tackle a global challenge such as global warming.Each country is focusing its efforts on some of these key points in its negotiations. In the case of Brazil, forest preservation and ending deforestation is certainly be among the priorities, as it is the debate on climate financing. European countries, under pressure from economic crises and increased defence spending, tend to avoid the issue of financing — precisely the issue on which they are being most challenged by developing nations. For their part, the major oil producers seek to block any progress in discussions on reducing the exploitation and use of fossil fuels. As can be seen, the task ahead of us is not only difficult: in many ways, it is a truly impossible mission. Some reasons for optimismEven so, there are reasons for optimism. We are living in a unique moment in the fight against climate change. In recent years, there have been significant advances in the generation of renewable energy, in transport electrification and reducing deforestation in various regions of the planet. Today, the cost of producing solar and wind energy is generally lower than that of burning fossil fuels — which is accelerating the global energy transition at a remarkable pace, generating economic gains.Global greenhouse gas emissions are beginning to show signs of slowing down, with a tendency to stabilise over the next five years. Countries such as China and India are already experiencing economic growth that outpaces the increase in their emissions — a promising sign of decoupling between GDP and carbon, a fundamental milestone towards truly sustainable development.Even so, the new NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) still project an average global temperature increase of around 2.7 °C, well above the target of the Paris Agreement.For Brazil, this scenario would mean an increase of 3.5 °C to 4 °C, accompanied by a sharp drop in rainfall — a combination that threatens agricultural productivity, increases the risk of forest degradation in the Amazon, and could transform the Northeast into an arid region. Extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense, and Brazil’s 8,500 kilometres of coastline will face serious impacts from rising sea levels. This is a future we must avoid at all costs. We must maintain the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 2.0 °C, preferably to 1.5 °C.The main task of COP 30 is clear: to end the era of fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to a clean, low-emission energy matrix in all economic sectors and countries. Brazil has a historic opportunity to become a sustainable energy powerhouseBrazil, with its vast potential for solar and wind power generation, has a historic opportunity to become a sustainable energy powerhouse — with cheap, abundant and renewable energy. No country on the planet has the solar and wind power generation potential that we have in Brazil. We can put our country in a position of global leadership in the production of sustainable and cheap energy.We can lead this transformation, leaving behind the energy of the last century and driving a new cycle of development based on clean sources. The five points listed at the beginning of this article point the way forward — and reinforce the urgency of acting with shared responsibility and a vision for the future.It is encouraging to see that the Paris Agreement is still alive — and, more than that, viable. Not only from a technical point of view, but also from an economic one. The technologies needed to decarbonise most productive sectors already exist, are proven and, in many cases, are now more competitive than fossil fuel-based alternatives.The climate crisis we face is, in fact, the clearest sign that humanity is undergoing yet another major historical transition — just as the end of feudalism, the Industrial Revolution and the two world wars of the 20th century were in their time. Now, we are moving towards a new paradigm: a world guided by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is more just, supportive and resilient.The coming decades will not be easy. The transition towards sustainability will require profound economic, social and cultural transformations. But there is no alternative. The current model is unsustainable — and is already showing signs of exhaustion, even in the short term.COP 30 therefore represents a turning point. It is time to work collectively to build this new society, which combines prosperity and environmental balance. The time to start is now — and the path inevitably passes through Belém.Paulo Artaxo não presta consultoria, trabalha, possui ações ou recebe financiamento de qualquer empresa ou organização que poderia se beneficiar com a publicação deste artigo e não revelou nenhum vínculo relevante além de seu cargo acadêmico.