This year marks a powerful and shocking milestone in climate diplomacy — 30 years of global climate negotiations that began in Berlin, Germany with COP1 in 1995. It was here that visionary leaders laid the foundation for a multi-country process, between sovereign nations, that is now arguably humanity’s most ambitious effort to protect ourselves.
I deliberately insist on the framing that this is not about saving the planet. This is because the planet will adapt, as it always has, reshaping itself through cycles of fire, flood, and ice. But it may do so in ways that humans cannot endure. This is about preserving the delicate balance that allows life to flourish.
Three decades later, the journey continues, now at COP30, fuelled by innovation, scientific breakthroughs, and the unwavering belief that together, we can shape a sustainable future. Yet, as the urgency grows, this path has not been without setbacks. Progress has often been slowed deliberately, hindered by short-term political interests, corporate interference, and a lack of accountability from some of the world’s largest polluters.
These disappointments serve as stark reminders that ambition alone is not enough, and it must be matched by courage, integrity, and decisive action.
As we approach COP30, the stakes have never been higher. The lessons of the past must galvanize us to recommit to our shared goals, but most importantly to demand greater transparency, equity, and urgency. This September, the world will turn its attention to Addis Ababa as we host Climate Week 2.0 and the second Africa Climate Summit. These pivotal gatherings will showcase global and African climate leadership and chart a path forward on climate finance, nature-based solutions, adaptation, and green growth, building towards the Addis Ababa Declaration, our unified continental voice ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Champion of environmental justice
In tandem with the COP process, and in a historic first for any COP climate convening, Brazil has taken a bold and visionary step forward. Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, a globally respected champion of environmental justice, is leading a transformative process (launched by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres,) that will shape the road to COP30. Minister Silva’s leadership signals a deeper reckoning with the urgency and inclusivity required to meet this moment.
For the first time, the path to a COP summit is being framed as the diplomatic countdown it has always been, but also as a dynamic, participatory journey that invites governments, civil society, indigenous communities, and youth to co-create the future we all depend on and dares to go further.
Through the launch of the Global Ethical Stocktake (GES), Brazil is calling on the world to confront the moral dimensions of climate inaction: the injustice of delayed responses, the disproportionate suffering of vulnerable communities, and the ethical failure of placing profit above human survival.
It is a call to reflect, to reimagine, and to recommit with stronger policies, yes, but also with conscience. I am humbled to serve as co-convener of the Africa Dialogue for the Global Ethical Stocktake (GES) together with Minister Silva in Addis in September.
The truth is that Africa is often punching above its weight. Our governments have developed visionary Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and embraced climate-resilient development pathways. But much of our progress is conditional. It is reliant on local political accountability, support that is often promised but rarely delivered.
Time and again, the world’s most vulnerable regions are told to do more, while those most responsible for climate breakdown delay and underdeliver. We know we have all the technical solutions, local wisdom and collective ingenuity we need to solve the climate emergency, but the will to act falls desperately short.
That is what the Global Ethical Stocktake seeks to confront: by creating space for six regional dialogues that bring civil society into the heart of climate decision-making: in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania. These dialogues will be about values, voices, and lived experiences.
The first regional dialogue took place in London during Climate Action Week, where European participants reflected on the ethical imperative to act.
Now it is Africa’s turn. We must speak bravely and clearly now or we risk being spoken for. This is our moment to shape the narrative, to centre justice, and to demand accountability.
I hope the GES must not be a fleeting feature of COP30. May it be the spark that ignites a deeper, enduring process. One that reaches beyond the summit and into the soul of global climate action. A process guided by a powerful concept shared across many cultures: mutirão (a Portuguese word that evokes collective effort, shared responsibility, and the strength of coming together). This spirit is the heartbeat of the GES, powered by people, rooted in community, and anchored in justice.
Ms Mathai is the MD for Africa & Global Partnerships at the World Resources Institute and Chair of the Wangari Maathai Foundation
