GENEVA — As the world edges closer to irreversible climate tipping points, Switzerland is intensifying its diplomatic efforts ahead of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, set to convene from November 10 to 21, 2025. The alpine nation, long a proponent of multilateral environmental action, is calling on all countries—especially the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters—to deliver bold, updated national climate pledges that align with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
"At this 30th UN Climate Change Conference, Switzerland is campaigning for all countries to submit ambitious new reduction targets," Felix Wertli, Switzerland's Ambassador for the Environment and Head of International Affairs at the Federal Office for the Environment, told the Keystone-SDA news agency in an exclusive interview. Wertli's remarks underscore Bern's proactive stance as nearly 200 nations prepare to negotiate advancements in the 2015 Paris Accord, a landmark treaty that has shaped global climate diplomacy for a decade.
COP30, hosted in the Amazonian gateway city of Belém, marks a symbolic and strategic pivot. Brazil's presidency, under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has branded the summit the "COP of Truth," emphasizing the urgent need to confront escalating climate impacts head-on—from Amazon deforestation to rising sea levels threatening small island states. The conference arrives at a precarious juncture: 2025 is the deadline for countries to submit their third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the self-set emission reduction plans central to the Paris framework. These pledges, due every five years, must reflect the first Global Stocktake's call for accelerated action, including deeper cuts in fossil fuel use, enhanced adaptation measures, and scaled-up climate finance.
Wertli highlighted the collaborative spirit persisting despite geopolitical fractures. "Despite global tensions, the fact that so many countries are still working together is a success," he said. This resilience is particularly notable following the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on January 20, 2025, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order revoking U.S. participation for the second time in his political career. The move, effective after a one-year notice period under the accord's terms, isolates the U.S.—the world's second-largest emitter—alongside Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only non-participants. Trump's administration has framed the exit as a defense of American economic interests, arguing the pact imposes unfair burdens on U.S. industries reliant on fossil fuels. Yet, as Wertli noted, "No other nation has followed the U.S. in withdrawing from the Paris Accord after Donald Trump began his second presidency." This steadfast global commitment offers a glimmer of hope, even as it amplifies pressure on remaining parties to compensate for the void.
The stakes at COP30 could not be higher. Updated NDCs will form the conference's core, serving as a collective audit of Paris progress. "The aim is for countries to take stock of what they have achieved so far under the Paris Agreement and where we still need to make improvements in order to close the gap to the 1.5-degree target," Wertli explained. Switzerland, having submitted its revised NDC in January 2025, is leading by example. The pledge commits to slashing emissions by at least 65% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, with an average reduction of 59% across 2031-2035—primarily through domestic measures like electrifying transport, boosting renewable energy, and enforcing stricter building efficiency standards. Environmental groups have praised the ambition but urged faster implementation, noting that current policies must evolve to meet net-zero by 2050.
Switzerland's delegation to Belém, led by Wertli and including Environment Minister Albert Rösti, will advocate for three pillars beyond emissions cuts: bolstering international investments in climate resilience, amplifying private sector roles in green innovation, and establishing globally comparable metrics for adaptation efforts. Adaptation—preparing societies for unavoidable changes like extreme weather—is gaining prominence at COP30, with negotiators expected to finalize the UAE-Belém Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation, launched at COP28. This framework aims to standardize indicators for tracking progress in vulnerable sectors like agriculture and water management, ensuring equitable support for developing nations.
Yet, the road to Belém is fraught with delays and shortfalls. As of mid-2025, only 17 of 195 Paris parties had submitted their 2035 NDCs by the February 10 deadline, covering just a fraction of global emissions. Major emitters like China, India, and the European Union missed the mark, though the EU formalized its post-2030 NDC in September, pledging alignment with its 55% reduction target by 2030 and a 90% cut by 2040. The UN Environment Programme's (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2025, released in early November, paints a sobering picture: even if all announced NDCs are fully implemented, global warming is projected at 2.3-2.5°C by century's end—down slightly from 2.6-2.8°C last year, but still catastrophic. Current policies alone point to 2.8°C, with emissions rising 2.3% year-on-year to 57.7 gigatons of CO2 equivalent in 2024.
Wertli acknowledged the trajectory's grimness: "We are not on course to achieve the 1.5-degree target at the moment." He pointed to tangible progress since Paris, however, with projected warming dropping from an alarming 4°C a decade ago to the current range, thanks to renewable energy surges and policy shifts in over 170 countries. To bridge the gap, UNEP calls for 2035 emissions to fall 35% (for 2°C) or 55% (for 1.5°C) from 2019 levels—a "quantum leap" requiring immediate halts to fossil fuel expansions and tripling climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 via the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap.
Brazil's hosting amplifies these imperatives. As the "Forest COP," Belém spotlights biodiversity and Indigenous rights, with 3,000 Indigenous representatives expected to advocate for protections against deforestation, which accounts for 10-15% of global emissions. Lula's administration has halved Amazon deforestation since 2023 and plans to launch the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), a $20 billion fund reserving 20% for Indigenous communities to preserve tropical rainforests. The summit's Action Agenda organizes discussions around six axes: low-carbon transitions in energy, industry, and transport; forest and ocean stewardship; sustainable agriculture; urban resilience; social development; and enablers like finance and technology. Critics, however, decry logistical woes, including skyrocketing hotel prices and infrastructure controversies, such as alleged rainforest clearing for access roads—denied by organizers.
Major players are converging with divergent agendas. The EU, reaffirming its 1.5°C commitment, seeks higher mitigation ambition and $100 billion-plus annual finance flows, having mobilized €27.6 billion in 2024 alone. China, the top emitter, informally signaled 7-10% reductions from peak levels by 2035 at the UN General Assembly—modest but pivotal, given its coal reliance. India positions itself as a voice for the Global South, pushing for equitable transitions amid its renewable boom, while least developed countries demand clarity on the $1.3 trillion finance roadmap to avert adaptation shortfalls. The U.S. absence looms large, potentially stalling carbon market integrations under Article 6, finalized at COP29.
Wertli lamented climate's waning political priority amid wars and economic woes but stressed multilateralism's enduring value. "In many countries, climate has fallen off the political agenda," he said, yet cooperation persists. Switzerland's delegation, controversially including Syngenta's sustainability head, will engage bilaterally to spur laggards like EU holdouts. Pre-COP talks in Brasília surfaced tensions but built bridges, with Brazil's mediation key to a potential outcomes package.
As Belém buzzes with 50,000 delegates—housed in repurposed ships and barracks—COP30 tests the Paris vision's viability. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a "bold and credible response plan" needed to ignite a "decade of acceleration." Wertli echoed this: true success lies not in photo-ops but in pledges that avert tipping points like permafrost thaw or ice-sheet collapse.
For Switzerland, a nation vulnerable to Alpine glacier melt and floods, COP30 is personal. Its 65% cut pledge integrates carbon pricing and biodiversity safeguards, but Wertli insists global equity is non-negotiable. "We need comparable metrics for adaptation to ensure no one is left behind," he urged. As negotiations unfold, Belém could forge a roadmap to reversal—or cement a path to peril. With 170+ countries confirmed and 57 heads of state attending, the summit offers a rare chance to realign humanity's trajectory. Failure, as UNEP cautions, risks overshooting 1.5°C irreversibly, demanding unproven carbon removal at scale.
In Geneva's shadow, Swiss officials prepare for the fray, blending optimism with resolve. "Progress since 2015 is clear," Wertli concluded, "but we must accelerate now—or pay dearly later." As the Amazon's humid air meets delegates' resolve, the world watches: will Belém deliver truth, or tragedy?
