Reflections on Achievements and Next Steps After the 2025 UN Climate Summit

Introduction

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), concluding in Belém, Brazil on November 21, 2025, marked a pivotal moment in the global response to climate change. This year’s summit brought together world leaders, scientists, Indigenous representatives, and civil society to review progress, set new targets, and accelerate climate action. For Canadians concerned about the environment and our country’s international commitments, COP 30 offered both milestones and ongoing challenges in the journey towards a sustainable future.

Canada’s Climate Commitments: A Brief Overview

Canada’s climate commitments are shaped by its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40–45% below 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. These targets have been supported by federal and provincial policies such as industrial carbon pricing, investments in clean technology such as carbon capture and storage, and strategies for energy transition including the phase out of coal for electricity generation by 2030. At COP 30, the focus was on whether Canada’s actions were aligning with its promises and how the country could further accelerate its climate ambition.

Key Results Achieved by Canada at COP 30

• Canada reaffirmed its existing 2030 emissions reduction target at a 40-45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. 
• Methane Reductions: Canada played a significant role in international initiatives to reduce methane emissions, co-convening the Global Methane Pledge and endorsing a statement led by the UK to reach near-zero methane emissions in the fossil fuel sector.
• Clean Energy Transition: Building on previous progress, Canada committed to accelerating its phase-out of unabated coal power by 2030 and pledged additional investments in renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro. The country joined the Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, aiming for a 60% share of renewables in its electricity supply by 2035.
• Indigenous Leadership and Inclusion: COP 30 saw Canada emphasize the role of Indigenous Peoples in climate solutions. The government announced increased funding for Indigenous-led climate initiatives and committed to co-developing adaptation strategies that respect traditional knowledge and practices.
• Climate Finance: Canada pledged an additional $1.5 billion in climate finance, focusing on supporting vulnerable countries and communities, especially in the Global South, to adapt to climate impacts and transition to clean energy. This renewed commitment is part of efforts to meet and exceed the $100 billion annual global climate finance goal.
• Nature-Based Solutions: Canada advanced its support for nature-based climate action, including financial support for, protecting the Amazon, sustainable land management practices, climate smart agriculture, and integrated fire management.

Analysis: How Do These Results Align with Canada’s Climate Promises?

The outcomes of COP 30 suggest that Canada is taking a more cautious approach to the climate crisis, backing away from commitments, taking a more measured role in climate policy, funding mitigation projects in the Global south while expanding the domestic fossil fuel industry . Official statements from the Canadian government at COP 30 shifted the conversation from setting new goals to the concrete implementation of its existing 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan and associated policies.

Canada’s renewed focus on Indigenous leadership and nature-based solutions reflects a broader understanding of climate action as a multi-dimensional issue, involving social, ecological, and economic factors. Increased financing for global  climate action project and support for adaptation in vulnerable regions bolters Canada’s role as a responsible global partner with a more nuanced and pragmatic approach.

Ongoing Challenges and Opportunities

Despite these achievements, Canada faces ongoing challenges in meeting its climate targets. This past spring the Canadian government eliminated the consumer carbon price. A few months later, it removed the 2026 electric vehicle mandate. Recent indications suggest that it will not pursue an oil and gas emissions target and, instead,  is in active discussions with the Alberta government on lifting the west coast tanker ban and facilitating a new pipeline to be built to the northern coast of B.C.

There has been little or no apparent pressure from the Federal government on the oil and gas industries to reduce emissions, other than providing tax breaks and incentives for investments in carbon capture and storage technologies which, so far, have not shown to be workable at scale or economically feasible.

The pace of emissions reduction in the oil and gas sector, the need for deeper carbon cuts in transportation and buildings, and the importance of implementing just transition strategies for workers remain critical issues that have yet to be adequately addressed. Ensuring accountability, transparent reporting, and meaningful engagement with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities will be essential to sustained progress.

Conclusion: What’s Next for Canada?

COP 30 demonstrated that Canada is moving forward but at a reduced pace, trying to match progress with the Canadian public’s limited appetite for change. At least Canada is still, “at the table”, demonstrating ambition in climate finance, cleaner energy, and Indigenous inclusion, even while it maintains support for growth in domestic oil and gas production. As we look ahead to 2030 and beyond, Canada’s climate journey will be like walking a tightrope, trying to maintain a growing resource-based economy while signaling to Europe, the global south and to environmentally concerned Canadian citizens, that Canada is committed to a greener and fairer world. No easy task. With your help and support, the BEA will continue to hold our government’s accountable, federally, provincially, and municipally to stay true to our collective commitments that will maintain a climate safe world for future generations.