The most consequential COP in a decade
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world right now — to question whether meaningful change is even possible. And just as climate summits face their deepest credibility crisis, the most consequential one in a decade is about to begin: COP30.
It might be tempting to simply shrug your shoulders. Politics is lagging behind reality and the latest NDCs don't reflect the real world progress that is underway and the determination from many businesses and citizens to move faster. At COP30, the center of gravity is shifting — from negotiations to the momentum building in economies and societies worldwide.
Belém itself embodies this new energy: for the first time in years, this summit is happening in a working port city on the Amazon's edge, where communities navigate the challenges of daily life while stewarding precious forests and freshwater resources. Here, Indigenous leaders who’ve protected these ecosystems for millennia will sit across from heads of state, and the solutions emerging won’t come from policy papers alone.
Brazil’s choice of Belém was politically risky — they faced fierce criticism for it. But it signals something important: recognition that climate solutions must emerge from lived experience, not just diplomatic rhetoric. This is strategic. The decisions made here — and the experience of attendees on the ground — will ripple through global supply chains, financial markets and energy systems that touch communities worldwide.
Ten years after Paris, we’re not where we need to be — current plans won’t limit warming to 1.5°C.
But the resistance to progress on climate that we’re witnessing globally may paradoxically signal we’re approaching an inflection point. Old patterns are shifting.
Renewable energy, battery storage, electric vehicles are all scaling with prices falling far faster than expected. Innovation continues, despite resistance. Community-based projects are flourishing. Belém will demonstrate that the soft power of hope, activism, invention and human ingenuity is alive and well. TED Countdown House will serve as a hub for these crucial connections and conversations.
Between November 8-20, we’re hosting 60+ events that will run alongside the official negotiations, spanning breakthrough technologies, grassroots innovation and the kind of honest reckonings about what’s working and what isn’t.
We’ve never hosted a House at COP, but we decided this year was different.
We want to stand with Brazil's leadership and the people of Belém, honoring their generous welcome to the world. That's why we've partnered with the incredible teams at Igarapé and Profile (hosts of TEDx Amazônia) to bring our own touch of magic, convening and curation to the COP process, hosting a wide range of partners who are doing valuable work in the world.
For those watching from afar, track what emerges from the Amazon beyond the headlines. The nationally determined contributions countries present will set the trajectory for the next decade. Watch for financial mechanisms that finally match the scale of need. But above all listen for voices from communities already innovating solutions.
The climate crisis demands we move past the binary of hope versus despair. What we’re witnessing is a system under enormous stress beginning to reorganize itself.
The question isn’t whether change will come — it’s whether we can navigate the transition wisely and justly enough to preserve what we most value.
That conversation will be happening in the Amazon. And it continues wherever in the world you are.
With profound hope,
Lindsay Levin, Head of TED Countdown
