COP30 is one of the most significant global climate summits held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, bringing together nearly all countries of the world. The 30th Conference of the Parties took place from 10–21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, at the heart of the Amazon rainforest. In this respect, COP30 carried both symbolic and strategic importance, as it was held in a region experiencing some of the most tangible impacts of the climate crisis.
Throughout the summit, countries engaged in negotiations on a wide range of issues, including limiting global warming to 1.5°C, national climate commitments, the renewable energy transition, climate finance, the loss and damage mechanism, adaptation policies, and sustainability transformation across sectors. At the conclusion of the summit, a joint outcome document was adopted, reflecting a commitment to progress in areas such as climate finance, adaptation, and citizen-centered climate action. Processes were also initiated to establish new financing mechanisms to support adaptation and resilience efforts in developing countries.
However, the absence of a binding decision on the phased elimination of fossil fuels was widely regarded as a significant shortcoming, particularly in light of the urgency highlighted by scientific evidence. Many observers noted that while COP30 delivered progress, its outcomes did not fully match the speed and scale required by the climate crisis. Nevertheless, the summit delivered a strong message: global development models must be rethought, as economic growth can no longer rely on high-carbon processes but must instead be grounded in green growth and green transition policies.
Green growth is a development model that aims to achieve economic progress in a sustainable manner without depleting natural resources, harming the environment, or deepening the climate crisis. This approach is based on the idea that economic growth and environmental protection are not opposing forces, but rather mutually reinforcing. Resource efficiency, a low-carbon economy, clean production, circular economy models, biodiversity protection, and innovation have become critical factors shaping contemporary economic policies.
In this context, COP30 went beyond emissions reduction commitments by calling for the acceleration of a global green transition. The green transition refers to making industries, supply chains, production processes, and consumption patterns more efficient, cleaner, and low-carbon. This transformation requires deep structural changes, particularly in resource-intensive sectors such as energy, transport, agriculture, and notably textiles. In the textile sector, green growth necessitates the use of recycled fibers, effective chemical management, reduced water and energy consumption, sustainable raw materials, traceability mechanisms, and circular economy models. European Union regulations such as ESPR, DPP, and EPR directly underpin this transformation, making progress toward a green economy a prerequisite for the sector.
The calls directed at the fashion and textile industries during COP30 emphasized the need for greater supply chain transparency and accelerated low-carbon production. Overall, while COP30 did not deliver the expected breakthrough on fossil fuel policies, it provided an important framework in areas such as climate finance, adaptation, social justice, the participation of Indigenous communities, the role of the private sector, and concrete expectations for specific sectors. The summit clearly demonstrated that countries and industries must move beyond a narrow focus on emissions reduction toward a holistic transformation centered on sustainable development, green growth, and green transition.
In conclusion, COP30 is regarded as a critical threshold in global climate policy, marking a shift from a “target-setting phase” to an “implementation phase.” The ability of this transition to generate real impact will depend on the determination, speed, and transparency of actions taken by governments, companies, and global value chains. COP31 is planned to be hosted by Türkiye in November 2026, with the main sessions held in Antalya and the leaders’ summit taking place in Istanbul.
