Europe left to shoulder climate financing as biggest polluters skip COP30

As the United Nations COP30 climate summit kicks off in Belém, Brazil, the European Union finds itself largely alone in leading global efforts on climate finance and mitigation.

The world’s three largest greenhouse gas emitters—the United States, China, and India—are largely absent, leaving European leaders to face the challenge of supporting developing nations in combating the effects of climate change, Caliber.Az reports, citing Euronews.

The U.S. will not send any delegates, a predictable development following its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. China’s President Xi Jinping will skip the summit, with Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang representing Beijing, while India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delegated representation to the country’s ambassador to Brazil, Dinesh Bhatia.

Collectively, China (29.2%), the U.S. (11.1%) and India (8.2%) account for nearly half of global emissions, compared with just 5.9% from the EU27, according to 2024 data from the EU’s Joint Research Centre.

European leaders face a delicate balancing act at home as priorities shift toward rearmament and boosting defence capabilities. Yet, in Belém, they remain committed to addressing climate needs in developing countries. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated during a pre-COP event that, “We remain the largest contributor of climate finance in the world (...) through the Global Gateway, we will continue to mobilise investment in the clean transition worldwide.”

European Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra emphasised the need for collective action: “The whole world must come together to achieve net-zero emissions. Europe accounts for only 6% of global emissions. We urge others to do their fair share — particularly those in the developed world and in the developing world, qualified as upper-middle-income countries.”

Meanwhile, developing nations are pushing for significantly more funding. Last year, the wealthiest countries pledged $300 billion (€259 billion) annually, falling short of the $1.3 trillion (€1.12 trillion) that the Global South considers necessary. Think-tank Power Shift Africa called for tangible commitments: “At COP30, developing nations are demanding more than vague promises (...) Belém must deliver a concrete plan where those responsible pay the most.”

COP30 opens amid both urgency and scepticism. Critics argue that global summits risk becoming symbolic exercises rather than vehicles for meaningful change. Austrian MEP Roman Haider described EU climate policy as a drain on taxpayers: “The COP summits have become nothing more than a global ATM, designed to extract billions from Europe's hardworking taxpayers and funnel them into endless climate handouts that deliver zero results.”

Yet environmental advocates remain resolute. Chiara Martinelli, director at Climate Action Network Europe, urged EU leaders to sustain momentum: “The EU’s political force at COP30 must be unwavering and tirelessly working to close the emissions, finance, justice and solidarity gaps — working with others to keep 1.5°C alive (...) multilateralism can still deliver justice, stability, and security in an increasingly fractured world.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev