COP30 began with high expectations, while the global climate crisis is intensifying faster than governments are responding. Even so, Belém was enlivened by Indigenous leadership, youth and civil society demanding coherence. From the Amazon to the Arctic, Indigenous nations reminded the world that they are rights-holders and guardians of the world’s most vital ecosystems. But Canada stood in contrast with its quiet presence and the absence of high-level representation.

Several Indigenous delegates expressed frustration that states continue to speak of “partnership” while approving projects that violate treaty obligations and free, prior, and informed consent. As one youth advocate put it during the People’s Summit in Belém, “You are negotiating our future as if it were negotiable.”

Science could not be more clear: seven of nine planetary boundaries that make Earth safe for human life have now been breached. At COP30, invited to participate in more than a dozen events, I emphasized how climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution can no longer be viewed as separate issues. The fires, floods, heatwaves and ecosystem collapse we are now witnessing are not anomalies; they are systemic warnings, and the cost of inaction is unaffordable. Despite petrostate claims, the environmental crisis is also an economic and social one.

The law is now mirroring scientific evidence too. The International Court of Justice's advisory opinion clarifies states’ obligations to align their actions with science and to prevent significant harm.........

© National Observer