ECO 4, COP30
Short and sweet
COP30 has had a smooth start and that was celebrated by many. ECO was also happy to see negotiations starting on time, suggesting a constructive engagement and positive dynamics moving forward. The idea was to have consultations on four agenda items between Monday and Wednesday.
One negotiator told ECO that this was risking leading to “a soup of words.” A lot of (important) words were shared but it was hard to understand how those words were going to give us a substantive meal in the end. After 8 hours of consultations, it was expected to hear a way forward from the Presidency during a stocktaking plenary session. Yet, the session lasted less than 5 minutes, leaving many countries in the dark. ECO is happy to provide some guiding reflections, in place of the StockFake plenary.
While it is clear that all agenda items are essential for different countries and for different reasons, it is important to remind ourselves that finance and means of implementation are the “fuel of the climate action vehicle.” In the context of public climate finance falling far short of needs, and aid budgets getting cut while military spending is rising, centering and prioritizing Article 9.1 is only logical. Developing countries Parties have outlined why this specific paragraph has not been addressed effectively under the Paris Agreement and how public finance has been inadequate, unpredictable, and inaccessible. They also explained how the NCQG decision purposely ignores and dilutes 9.1 into a broader conversation about financial flows. Yet, ECO heard from some developed countries Parties that Article 9.1 was indeed clearly included in the NCQG decision (but nobody could clearly explain how it is so) and also heard that contributing countries are actually already implementing Article 9.1 (hum… what are you afraid of, then?).
ECO has been hearing about the need for a global response to the ambition gap in current NDCs. It’s a good time to remind parties of logical sequencing – the architecture of the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement requires the provision of finance and means of implementation from developed countries in order for ambition and implementation from developing countries.
Speaking of ambition, it is also becoming amply clear how inequities in international trade rules and the issue of Unilateral Trade Measures are posing a real and persistent barrier to just transition, especially in developing countries that are left to plan and implement action while being shackled.
Let ECO summarize: Ten years after the Paris Agreement, it’s time to be serious about its implementation. Article 9.1 is a unique and, as recently reaffirmed by the highest international court, legally binding obligation on developed countries to provide public climate finance. This is the key in loosening up all other deadlocks.
Aos trabalhadores da COP30
Trabalhadoras e trabalhadores da construção civil, funcionários da limpeza, funcionários da cantina, funcionários da segurança, caixas e voluntários da COP30,
ECO está muito grato por poder participar desta COP30 aqui em Belém. E queremos reconhecer hoje que, sem todos vocês, isso não teria sido possível. Nós vemos vocês finalizando a construção dos pavilhões, instalando o áudio nas salas de reunião, nos ajudando a encontrar o caminho, nos servindo comida… e gostaríamos de aproveitar a oportunidade para agradecer.
ECO quer sublinhar que respeitar os direitos e a dignidade de todos os trabalhadores e trabalhadoras, em todas as circunstâncias, é essencial. Justiça climática significa justiça social e justiça racial — e isso inclui direitos trabalhistas, condições de trabalho justas, segurança e respeito por todos que contribuem para tornar esta conferência possível. Saibam que, por trás de todos os cartazes de Transição Justa e crachás que usamos, também lutamos pelo direito dos trabalhadores e das trabalhadoras de viver com dignidade em todos os lugares.
Somos muito gratos por todos os seus esforços. Mais uma vez, muito obrigado.
English
Dear construction workers, cleaners, canteen staff, security staff, cash distribution staff and COP30 volunteers,
ECO is very thankful to be able to participate at this COP30, in Belem. And we want to recognize today that without all of you, this would not have been possible. We see you, finalising the construction of the pavilions, setting up the audio in the meeting rooms, helping us to find our way, giving us food… and we wanted to take the opportunity to thank you.
ECO wants to underline that respecting the rights and dignity of all workers, in all circumstances, is essential. Climate justice means social justice — and that includes, labour rights, fair working conditions, safety, and respect for everyone who contributes to making this conference possible. Do know that behind all those Just Transition placards and badges we are wearing, we are also fighting for the right of working people to live in dignity everywhere.
We are very grateful for all your efforts. Again, many thanks.
What We Did Not Hear in Belém from US Subnational Leaders
As governors, mayors, and Indigenous leaders gathered in Belém, the air was thick not only with humidity but contradiction. U.S. governors Newsom and Lujan-Grisham condemned the Trump Administration’s climate denial and spoke of “partnership” and “progress”, praising their states’ investments in renewables and resilience. Yet when frontline and Indigenous leaders took the microphone, the message shifted. ECO reminds U.S. subnationals that words without action are not the climate leadership we are looking for.
Again and again, we heard what real climate action must look like — and it begins with honesty. Governors cannot champion “climate leadership” abroad while expanding oil drilling and approving new fossil infrastructure at home. They cannot speak of justice while communities choke on the fumes of their policies. These contradictions were not lost on anyone in the room.
Latino and Indigenous leaders at COP reminded us that extraction and exploitation are not relics of the past; they are happening right now, often justified in the name of “transition” or “national security”. They urged U.S. subnational leaders to confront the colonial legacies still embedded in their climate policies. If U.S. leaders hope to rebuild global trust, they must finally meet the obligations they signed under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. Instead, the U.S. has stalled, subsidized, and expanded fossil fuels.
The need for a Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) came into sharper focus during these discussions. Local governments, workers, and environmental justice groups voiced support for its vision: a coordinated, just transition financed without debt and led by communities most affected by the crisis. BAM represents an opportunity to realign climate cooperation around justice, not profit – but only if leaders commit to applying those same principles at home.
The truth is simple: real leadership will not be measured by who attended COP30, but by who returns home ready to act. Will these governors bring the spirit of Belém back to their capitals to stop fossil expansion, invest in people, and place justice at the center of their economies? Or will Belém be just another photo op in the rainforest?
The world is watching. The Amazon is watching. And so are the communities back home who deserve more than speeches.
Want to achieve climate action? Then prioritise Just Transition and labour rights
ECO is happy to share this part of our publication with the Trade Union NGO (TUNGO) Constituency to help amplify their voice. This article reflects the views of the TUNGO.
Climate negotiators often struggle to understand the need for a Just Transition based on the protection and promotion of labour rights. The Paris Agreement is clear about the ‘imperative of a just transition for the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs’. However, the reality of the last ten years shows what happens if we prioritise market-driven solutions instead of solutions for people. The GST, the new round of NDCs and every IPCC report to date demonstrate that we are not meeting objectives on either emissions reductions or a Just Transition.
As well as not delivering results, these policies are also extremely unjust. There are major inequalities between and within countries in terms of how people are being affected as well as who the winners and losers are. This is why we need an urgent change of direction.
For climate policies to succeed, they need to be based on fairness and equity. A Just Transition based on the protection and promotion of labour rights is the proven toolbox to achieve social justice.
Without grounding labour rights at the heart of the transition and without fulfilling promises on good green jobs, workers will find it harder to support climate action – and risk being used by political actors and their corporate backers for short-term gain.
Countries that respect labour rights are less unequal and their economies are stronger and resilient. These rights are defined and agreed upon at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations agency where governments, employers and trade unions have an equal voice at the table. These rights include freedom of association, the right for workers to organise collectively and form or join a trade union, which is the necessary precondition for genuine social dialogue between governments, employers and unions, as well as collective bargaining at the company level between companies and unions.
Social protection is also crucial as the world deals with the impacts of the climate. Where social safety nets exist, a worker who loses their job or is injured due to climate impacts, such as floods or extreme heat, receives compensation. And as the planet heats up, the need for strong occupational health and safety (OSH) standards at the workplace – the right to have a job that doesn’t kill you – becomes ever more crucial.
To lay the foundations for ambitious climate policies, we need to build trust within our societies. For that to happen, we need to tackle inequality and ensure that the rights and interests of workers are actively protected. Labour rights are a fundamental condition for resilient democracies and this is why, at COP30, countries need to establish a Belém Action Mechanism for Just Transition (BAM). The BAM is the missing piece in the UNFCCC architecture that can guarantee decent work and quality jobs for workers of all genders across the world, and which connects multilateral climate policies with social justice. If climate action needs to gather speed, it must have workers backing it – and labour rights are the key for this support.
WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALL PEOPLES SUFFERING FROM GENOCIDE, WARS, OCCUPATION, AND GOVERNMENT VIOLENCE THROUGH CLIMATE CHANGE.
––
Download file: http://ECO-13-November-2025.pdf