Opinion | As Trump casts a pall over Cop30, China’s quiet leadership inspires hope

The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future

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Published: 8:30pm, 24 Nov 2025Updated: 7:44am, 25 Nov 2025

Amid the climate crisis, China’s quiet leadership in the fight for a sustainable future offers a reason for optimism, particularly for the Global South.

After two weeks of contentious negotiations, Cop30 in Brazil concluded with an uneasy deal that sidestepped any mention of fossil fuels, exposing deep divisions and mounting frustrations. Indeed, even as Cop30 convened, the world was already suffering “summit fatigue”. After decades of lofty declarations and limited follow-through, many question why collective ambition consistently fails to translate into concrete action.

In response, Brazil deliberately reframed Cop30, positioning it not as a stage for more pledges, but as a launch pad for real, scalable solutions. Its flagship initiative, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, embodies this goal. This innovative, blended-finance mechanism will pay countries to preserve their forests – prioritising tangible conservation over rhetoric.

But it remains critically underfunded. While voicing support, China has withheld from making a financial commitment, partly on the grounds that the West bears historical responsibility for climate change. Similarly, countries like Britain have expressed support but refrained from providing funds, reflecting a prevailing challenge: the Global North is failing to deliver on its climate aid pledges, impeding action.

The most egregious negligence from the West comes from the United States which, under President Donald Trump, has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement.

At the UN General Assembly in September, Trump called climate change a “hoax” and criticised renewable energy policies as a “green scam”. The US is not only withholding support but actively undermining international efforts to address climate change. Washington reportedly used heavy-handed tactics to block a climate measure, pressuring smaller nations to vote against approving the first pollution fee on cargo ship emissions.

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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future

The Global North is failing to deliver on its climate pledges while Beijing patiently lays the groundwork for a greener future