The United Nations convenes its Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Belém, Brazil Nov. 10-21, and in this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast we’re covering what to expect from COP30. 

This annual UN summit convenes world leaders to work together on solutions to tackle climate change, and COP30 is known as the "Implementation COP,” which means a focus on turning climate commitments into action. To learn more, we sit down on the sidelines of the PRI in Person conference in São Paulo, Brazil, this week with Marcos Neto. Marcos is Assistant Secretary General at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Director of UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support.  

Marcos explains the big themes he’s watching heading into COP30 — including the rising focus on adaptation and resilience; the evolving role of insurance in climate conversations; financing needs; and the climate-nature nexus. He also discusses UNDP’s work to help countries develop their Nationally Determined Contributions, which are countries’ plans for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement that are updated every five years.   

Marcos grew up in Belém, and he says his hometown exemplifies the need to strike a balance between climate goals and economic development. 

“Belém is a great symbol of that — because there is poverty, because there are Indigenous peoples, because there are forests ... agriculture, cattle ranchers,” he says. “We need to figure out a way to live with all those aspects.”  

Listen to our podcast interview with Marcos during last year’s COP29 conference here: UN official says credibility of climate COPs at stake heading into 2025 | S&P Global

Read more from S&P Global about what to expect from COP30: COP30: Climate governance at a crossroads | S&P Global

Read our latest Road to COP report on the Platts Connect platform (requires log-in): https://plattsconnect.spglobal.com/#platts/previewDocument?id=478c7957-99a9-45de-9382-4c964aa1c023 

 Learn about the Global Carbon Markets Conference from S&P Global Commodity Insights taking place in Barcelona shortly after COP30. 

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global. 

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