As nearly 50,000 delegates representing more than 190 countries descended on the Brazilian city of Belem earlier this week for COP30, the mood was markedly different from the hopeful spirit that once defined global climate gatherings. Instead of exuberant expectations for new milestones, the two-week negotiations appear poised to confront a colder truth: the world is running out of time, political will, and public patience. Increasingly, the question is no longer about crafting another climate deal but about implementing those already signed – many of which remain unfulfilled.

At the center of this reckoning is Andre Correa do Lago, president of this year’s UN climate talks, who issued a stark warning even before the conference formally began. According to him, the Global North has lost much of its enthusiasm for tackling the climate emergency, succumbing to domestic political divisions, short-term economic considerations, and rising climate skepticism. In contrast, the Global South – the world region least responsible for global warming but most affected by it – continues to show resilience and a willingness to adapt. But adaptation alone cannot stop a crisis overwhelmingly driven by industrialized countries.

This dynamic has become a recurring paradox at UN climate summits. While countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific innovate to survive rising sea levels, deadly heatwaves, and water scarcity, the world’s largest historical polluters continue to delay the deep emissions cuts required to meet their own commitments. And so, as delegates gather once again for an annual climate pilgrimage, many ask: what is the purpose of these meetings if the will to implement decisive action remains largely absent?

Perhaps the most glaring signal of global climate malaise is the failure – or outright refusal – of countries to submit updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), the backbone of the Paris Agreement. These plans outline each country’s commitments to limit emissions and adapt to climate impacts by 2035. Under the 2015 Paris framework, nations must revise their NDCs every five years, strengthening ambitions based on........

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