written by Josie Hammond and Liv Adao
Good evening, fellow tree huggers! Merry Mary Oliver Monday to y’all, we hope you are starting your week on the right foot. Tonight, we will be discussing the COP30. Now, if you don’t know what that stands for, don’t fret. You are about to find out if you keep reading…But wait, first let’s get some wisdom from Mary Oliver.
Wow. Another beautiful poem. We especially love the middle paragraph, in which Mary eloquently writes that, “the present is what your life is”. It is a piece of advice that is so often handed out, but very few times is it actually listened to. Each of us can actively and consciously shape our lives. We can decide what will be and who we want to be. This poem emphasizes how each of us can create change in this world, whether that be by being a diplomat at a grand summit or simply planting a tree in your backyard. Whatever it is, listen to Mary Oliver in her calling to live your life.
Back to business, the COP30 stands for the 30th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Essentially, this is the world’s biggest climate conference in which over 190 countries met to discuss what we need to change, enact, and address. This year, the conference is held in Belem, Brazil, a strategic placement due to the pressing issue of the Amazon rainforest. Now, this is a two-week conference, and we are only halfway through. What we discuss today will only be the tip of the iceberg, so we encourage you to read more and stay updated!
To start with, some unsettling and disappointing news: the United States will not be participating in COP30. The Trump administration did not send a high-level delegate to the summit, reflecting the administration’s disregard and disengagement in climate action. In fact, during a speech at the UN in September, Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”. As one of the largest polluters, it is unsettling that the U.S. is not participating in this summit. However, there are still many countries that are in attendance, and we should remain optimistic.
What is the major issue that will be addressed? Global warming. The world is not on track to meet the goals set in the Paris agreement. The Paris Agreement was an international treaty enacted in 2016. Its main goal is to limit global temperature increases to as close to 1.5 degrees as possible. Based on current policies, the world is on track for 2.8 degrees of warming, according to the UN. If governments’ new pledges for the future are met, this could be brought down to 2.3 to 2.5 degrees. But even this reduced level of heating will cause devastation and could push the planet over catastrophic tipping points, including the loss of coral reefs and the melting of the ice sheets. Countries were supposed to submit their plans for cutting climate pollution up to 2035 by a February deadline. However, more than 90% of governments missed it. Most countries have now submitted their plans, but some, including big polluters like India, have not. So, hopefully, at this summit, there will be actionable steps to commit to this goal
What progress have we made? Well, firstly, we have made progress on global warming, considering the fact that a decade ago, the planet was on course for around a 4-degree temperature rise. Although there is still much work to be done, it is hopeful that there is some amount of change. Additionally, in the first half of 2025, for the first time ever, renewables overtook coal as the top source of global electricity — a major milestone, according to analysts. This provides hope for a future with more sustainable energy development and less harm to our beautiful planet.
At COP30, the aim to create a roadmap of action for the next decade is crucial. The final outcome from this summit could include commitments on finance, adaptation to climate impacts, nature, the clean energy transition, and possibly phasing down fossil fuels. Although this will be incredibly challenging given current geopolitical headwinds, we at Speak for the Trees are holding out hope for the future of our planet. “In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength,” as Uncle Iroh wisely put it. 🙂
Alright, tree huggers, that is all we have for tonight! Hopefully, you learned something. Remember to stay educated and informed on what is happening to our beautiful planet. If you want to read more about this summit, we have attached some sources below. Your homework for this week is to put your lips to the world. Taste life and drink it. Remember to live in the present and shape the world as we know it. You have the power, and we believe in you always!
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/cop30
UN Climate Change Conference – Belém, November 2025 | UNFCCC
Speak for the Trees 
One response to “KPOP?? No, COP30!”
I think this Mary Oliver poem is one of my favorites yet. It ties two of the most important things in my life together. It reminds me of something Marcus Aurelius states in his book meditations: the present moment is the only thing that we have, therefore it is the only thing that can be taken away from us. When we start worrying about the past or the potential what-ifs of the future, we steal the present from ourselves and we no longer have control over the one thing we have the power to control. Being present is something that, in this day and age, takes effort to achieve. But in my opinion, it is the healthiest state one can be in. In the way Ms. Oliver puts it, you put your lips to the pond of life and truly live life.
With that being said, we also cannot live in some fantasy where we disregard the future entirely. Someday that will be the present too. If we want to have these beautiful places to explore and resources to utilitze, we must think of the future and how we are impacting it NOW. Thank you for not only bringing up these concerns but also showing us how far we have gone. All of those data points you shared about how we have improved are new to me, and it is honestly really encouraging to see that we CAN make a change, and fixing the mess around us it isn’t just some far off fantasy. Thank you for always bringing a light of positivity to every week (or every other week) with these blogs.
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