COP30 Week 2: is a COP of truth and of the people still possible?

Guest contributor Savio Carvalho, Head of Regions at 350.org

It’s often said that “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” At the UN Climate Summit in Belém, one truth stands above all: the world must free itself from fossil fuels, and that freedom is absolutely within reach. It’s been in the voices of people and in draft texts – it’s now up to world leaders to take it to real action.

Amid the political choreography inside the COP halls, one force has been impossible to ignore: people power. Inside the venues, in the streets of Belém, and in cities across the world, tens of thousands have marched, spoken out, and stood in solidarity. And their demand is clear: leaders must adopt an uncompromising roadmap to end fossil fuels, while tripling renewable energy and rapidly scaling wind and solar.

This is not just an energy transition; it is a justice transition. It is about rights, access, and ownership, especially for people living in poverty and those most affected by climate impacts. And justice means transforming words and promises into action and real policy change.

Implementation is not a slogan, it’s a cost and an opportunity

COP30 has been described as the “COP of Implementation”, and if we want it to also be the COP of truth and of people, as it has also been labelled, implementation is really key. It must mean something real for the frontline communities who face climate impacts daily, communities living with droughts, storms, floods, fires, and rising seas. Brazil’s most recent tornado, which completely destroyed the small city of Rio Bonito do Iguaçu this month and took lives, livelihoods, and homes, is a stark reminder that climate impacts are not abstract; they are deadly.

Destroyed houses on Saturday after a tornado hit Rio Bonito do Iguacu, Parana state, Brazil. Credit: Parana State Government/Reuters

Implementation requires actual resources. So why are wealthy governments still holding back? These same countries always manage to find billions for bank bailouts, wars, and perverse subsidies for fossil fuels and industrial agriculture. If COP30 is to be a true COP of Implementation, it must be backed by real money, not recycled promises.

Resistance is alive, and it is reshaping the narrative here

Inclusion at this COP has been better than at a few recent summits, but that is hardly a benchmark to celebrate. Indigenous leadership, crucial for safeguarding ecosystems and guiding climate solutions, has again been sidelined. Only 360 Indigenous representatives (just 14%) secured accreditation to the blue zone, where official discussions happen. Meanwhile, more than 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists are present, outnumbering every official country delegation except the host, Brazil.

Still, Indigenous voices are making themselves heard. The Munduruku people staged a peaceful protest blocking the main entrance, demanding an end to extractive projects in their territories. It seems the Brazilian COP Presidency is listening, which is a start, but the world is watching for what comes next: action, not acknowledgements.

Indigenous Peoples protest peacefully outside the COP30 venue in the Amazon. Credit: AFP / Pablo PORCIUNCULA

Events throughout the week reflected the breadth and depth of climate efforts underway. Discussions on renewable energy, protecting the 1.5°C limit, climate finance, and human rights brought essential insights. These spaces matter; they help shape thinking, spark ideas, and influence the outcomes that world leaders must deliver.

The week closed with a major march through Belém, the first mass protest of this kind at a COP in years, after three consecutive summits hosted by authoritarian regimes. Thousands filled the streets in a powerful show of music, colour, creativity, and solidarity, demanding systemic change instead of cosmetic gestures.

Their voices have brought hope and conviction, and are a reminder that organizing, mobilizing, and resisting remain some of the most powerful tools humanity has in confronting the climate crisis.

The time for action is now

As we enter a pivotal phase of COP30, this summit still has the chance to become the COP of Action and Accountability. Scientists warn that a temporary overshoot of 1.5°C may still be reversible, but only if this gathering becomes the moment history remembers as the point where the world turned the corner.

While many national governments stall, mayors and local leaders, from the Pacific to the United States, are already acting with the speed this crisis demands. We are also seeing bold national moves, such as Colombia’s declaration to end fossil fuel mining and extractivism in the Amazon. And in the negotiation rooms, momentum continues to grow for a global fossil fuel phase-out roadmap, now supported by 62 countries, according to analysis from 350.org and partners.

These are glimpses of the future we need – not one defined by delay, but by decisive action.

The path is clear. Now it is up to world leaders to walk it. And with COP30 unfolding in the lungs of the Earth itself, there is no moral or political space left for excuses.

This article was first published at 350.org.