As a knowledge partner for the Climate Governance Initiative, the Centre for Climate Engagement prepared a briefing to highlight the key outcomes of COP30 with relevance for non-executive directors (NEDs).
From 10 to 21 November 2025, nearly 200 nations gathered in Belém, Brazil for COP30, a summit defined by its focus on moving from climate ambition to practical implementation. Despite disruptions including protest demonstrations, an unprecedented presence of fossil fuel lobbyists, and wider geopolitical tensions marked by the United States’ absence, negotiations saw a range of developments across nature and biodiversity governance, climate financing, and multilateral policymaking processes.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell stressed that recent progress must not overshadow the need for much faster, coordinated action, pointing out that global markets are already moving toward a low-carbon future.
Key messages for boards coming out of the negotiations include:
- Make collaboration a board priority: Champion partnerships with governments, industry peers and financial institutions to accelerate implementation of investable climate innovation projects.
- Stress-test for higher climate risks: Determine how the potential for a 2.3–2.5°C warming trajectory impacts business strategy and how resilience planning can limit overshoot of Paris-aligned emissions targets.
- Stay ahead of tightening regulation: Track evolving climate laws and international legal action and prepare for stricter accountability across jurisdictions.
- Position for new finance flows: Assess where your organisation can drive or benefit from the multilateral target of $1.3 trillion annual climate finance by 2035.
- Embed nature into strategy: Integrate nature-related risks and opportunities into capital planning and ESG frameworks.
- Lead the fossil fuel transition: Treat fossil fuel phaseout as a strategic opportunity by mapping dependencies, investing in low-carbon alternatives, and promoting sector-wide transitioning.
- Double down on data and transparency: Build robust climate data and reporting systems into core business strategy to meet rising disclosure expectations.
- Champion information integrity: Strengthen governance to ensure climate communications are accurate, science-based and accessible.
About the Climate Governance Initiative:
The full briefing was published by the Climate Governance Initiative (CGI), an organisation which empowers board directors on every continent to take climate action by enhancing their knowledge and skills in climate governance. Its rapidly-growing network of Chapters in over 70 countries worldwide reaches more than 100,000 board directors. CGI was hosted by CCE from 2020 to 2025 before spinning out as an independent charity. Read more here.
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