Gentian Field Notes #5 - COP30, EU Corporate Sustainability, and Product Updates

Unpacking COP30: Progress, missed opportunities, and the road ahead

By Mana Starosta

COP30, held in Belém Brazil came to a close last month with modest progress that left much to be desired. A roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels and halting deforestation was noticeably absent from the final agreement, fundraising for Brazil's forest fund fell short of targets, indigenous groups were left out of key decision-making spaces, and once again countries failed to deliver the bold action required to meaningfully avert catastrophic warming.

Despite progress lagging significantly on key issues, COPs continue to provide countries with an opportunity to unify around a shared commitment towards the planet and set the tone for future cooperation. At COP30 we witnessed the power of organised movements and were reminded of the urgent need for reforming the COP process.

image-3600-635e747ea877edf57da365eba7255e10_optimized_200 Image from COP30 (2025) (Link: https://cop30.br/en/news-about-cop30/lula-calls-for-stronger-greenhouse-gas-reductions-and-emphasizes-broad-social-participation-at-cop30)

Where COP30 fell short

Fossil Fuels

Lauded as the “implementation COP,” the summit was expected to deliver concrete steps toward a fossil fuel phase-out. Early momentum was promising: Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and over 80 countries backed a roadmap to end fossil fuel use. Yet opposition from major producers meant the final text failed to include a single reference to fossil fuels.

Deforestation

While the final agreement included a commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, countries were unable to reach an agreement on creating a roadmap for achieving this.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a market-oriented financing mechanism for forests, aimed to raise $25 billion in donations and ultimately secured $6.6 billion. Initiatives to help fund conservation in forested countries are vital, but critics questioned who will control the TFFF and whether it will benefit investors more than the communities fighting deforestation.

‘People’s Summit’

COP30 also promised to be the “people’s COP”, where indigenous voices, local communities, and civil society demands for climate justice would be heard. In practice, participation was limited: out of the over 5,000 Indigenous attendees, only 350 secured passes to the negotiation zone and many Indigenous groups were unable to vote or attend closed-door meetings.

0e701860-c268-11f0-a3d5-9d7d626b89bd Image from BBC (2025) (Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy40z22qqwwo)

Progress made at COP30

People’s protests

A lot of the progress made at COP30 happened outside main negotiations. Indigenous and traditional movements from the Pan-Amazon region organised massive protests advocating for greater civil society representation.

Their demonstrations directly led to the recognition of ten new Indigenous territories in Brazil - a small but meaningful victory given that hundreds of territories remain pending and at risk. Their movement also led to the establishment of the Belem Action Mechanism, which aims to ensure climate justice and inclusivity is at the heart of the green transition.

Just transition

One positive outcome was an agreement on creating a ‘Just transition’ mechanism, a platform to help shift economies away from fossil fuels in a fair and equitable manner.

COP30 also oversaw the announcement of the International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels which will be held in Colombia in April 2026.

UNFCCC-COP30-MM-3466_optimized_200 Image from Just Energy Transition in Coal Regions Knowledge Hub (2025) (Link: https://www.jetknowledge.org/news/just-transition-work-programme-what-to-expect-at-cop-30-in-belem/)

Roadblocks to roadmaps

The scientific imperative for tougher measures is undisputable. So what is preventing more aggressive action?

For one, establishing a consensus on climate action between 200 countries across a vast range of environmental issues, is inherently difficult. Countries must take into consideration the interests of industry, climate justice, civil society demands, international relationships/agreements, national objectives and more - all of which frequently represent competing interests.

Furthermore, even when countries agree that stronger action is warranted, they must then reach a consensus on which countries bear more responsibility and the appropriate level of support they should provide to countries who will, and already are, dealing with the worst consequences of a warming climate, despite contributing the least to warming.

Beyond country-level politics, many argue that the COP process is not conducive to radical change, given years of slow decision-making and progress that does not come close to reversing our current trajectory.

image-1280-99efd47dce849ccd94ea57020afce78f_optimized_200 Image from COP30 (2025) (Link: https://cop30.br/en/news-about-cop30/preparatory-negotiations-for-cop30-begin-with-a-focus-on-implementing-climate-agreements-and-strengthening-multilateralism)

A wake-up call for future COPs

On this point, Brazil put forward bold initiatives for accelerating action. For example, the host country managed to outline the summit’s agenda much quicker than previous summits through a series of ‘mutirões’ (derived from the Tupi-Guarani concept of “self-organized effort to support one another in times of need”) or 'collective efforts' that laid out the key issues for COP30.

Brazil’s president even put forward a proposal for reforming the COP process by implementing a “global climate council — a smaller, more agile entity to lead negotiations and ensure that climate commitments are implemented”.

Amid renewed debate over whether the COP process is still fit-for-purpose, COP30 in Belém highlighted both its shortcomings and potential for change. As attention shifts to next year’s summit in Turkey, the takeaway is clear: bold climate action is no longer optional. While COPs can drive meaningful progress and provide an opportunity for countries to unite around a common goal, they urgently require reform to achieve concrete outcomes for the planet.

EU Reaches Landmark Deal to Simplify Corporate Sustainability Rules

By Charlie Bouqueuniaux

Policymakers have come to a provisional agreement on the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive) omnibus.

After months of negotiation, early Tuesday morning, the European Parliament and EU member state negotiators struck a deal to simplify sustainability and due diligence requirements, a move aimed at boosting competitiveness while maintaining Europe’s environmental and social ambitions.

The agreement refines the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) by raising company thresholds to 1,000 employees and €450 million in turnover, easing obligations for smaller firms and limiting the trickle-down burden on supply chains. Financial holding companies will be exempt, and “wave one” firms that began reporting in 2024 will gain transitional relief through 2026.

For the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), only companies with over 5,000 employees or €1.5 billion turnover will be covered initially, focusing regulatory pressure on the largest players with the greatest influence. Deadlines have also been extended, giving firms until July 2029 to comply fully.

At the same time, the European Commission has proposed simplified Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) rules and received revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) from EFRAG, promoting consistency and usability across ESG frameworks.

While some view this as a slowdown, experts describe it as a “maturing” of the EU’s sustainability agenda, shifting from quantity to quality. Europe’s new ESG chapter is about balance: credible goals, reduced bureaucracy, and renewed business confidence.

Gentian @ COP30

Gentian was featured at the COP30 UK Pavillion, as an example of UK innovation and leadership in the development of climate change solutions.

You can watch our showreel here:

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