Elisabeth joins Climate Reality Canada with experience in applied climate policy research, project coordination and teaching. A recent graduate with a master’s degree in Environment, Applied Politics Stream from the University of Sherbrooke, she was also part of a delegation to COP29 as part of a specialized program on international climate negotiations.
Elisabeth Fournier, Coordinator for the Dialogues pour les climat and for international engagement.
1. Before we get into the intersessionals and COP30, could you give us a picture of where climate diplomacy currently stands?
As the world sinks deeper into an escalating climate crisis, we’re seeing a troubling backslide in climate policies, both globally and here at home. Decisions being made are falling short of the urgency required, and it’s once again the most vulnerable populations, particularly in the Global South, who are paying the highest price. In this tense geopolitical context, it’s more crucial than ever for climate diplomacy to stay the course.
COP30, which will take place in November in Belém, Brazil, will be a pivotal moment to bring climate ambition back to the heart of the international agenda and to ensure that the voices of the most affected communities are heard.
Each year, countries gather at the Conference of the Parties — the famous COPs — to coordinate the global climate response. Despite progress made, there remains a significant gap between commitments and actual implementation. Current trajectories are leading us toward nearly 3°C of warming, while the Paris Agreement’s goal is to limit it to 1.5°C.
Signed in 2015, the Paris Agreement marked a major turning point. Before its adoption, the world was headed for over 4°C of warming. The Agreement helped bend that curve downward, but efforts must now double if we are to truly meet our targets. This means that Canada and Quebec must do their fair share by rapidly reducing their dependence on fossil fuels and increasing their support for international climate finance.
To dive deeper into where things stand, you can watch the recording of our October 17 webinar marking 10 years of the Paris Agreement. We had a panel of experts review progress, challenges and next steps — a great opportunity to better understand the stakes of today’s climate diplomacy.
2. What are the Bonn intersessionals?
The Bonn intersessionals are an important but often overlooked part of the international climate negotiations.
Each year, as a mid-point between two COPs, member countries of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meet in Bonn, Germany, in June to advance climate discussions. It’s like the backstage of the big conferences: delegations of negotiators work on draft decision texts, debate technical issues and prepare the major outcomes to be decided at the next COP.
While the intersessionals get less media attention than the COPs themselves, the progress (or deadlocks) achieved in Bonn set the tone and heavily influence the results of the upcoming COP.
3. What should we watch for at COP30, and how did the results from Bonn help set the stage?
The June negotiations in Bonn offered a preview of what’s to come at COP30: high expectations and high tensions.
One of the main sources of tension is climate finance, long one of the thorniest issues in negotiations and the central theme of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. That COP was supposed to decide on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, but many felt the outcome was insufficient.
In short, countries in the Global South are demanding more public funding from the Global North (especially for adaptation and loss and damage), while Northern countries want to broaden the role of the private sector and emerging economies in climate finance — creating friction.
At Bonn, this issue loomed large in nearly every negotiation room, a direct consequence of COP29’s disappointing results. The result: limited progress and numerous stalemates.
Although COP30 doesn’t have a single central theme, the Brazilian presidency has identified three priority negotiation tracks:
3.1. Global Stocktake (GST)
The Global Stocktake, described by Brazil’s presidency as a “blueprint” for action, aims to guide efforts toward limiting warming to 1.5°C.
COP30 marks a critical milestone for increasing national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement; it’s the deadline for countries to submit their third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Most countries missed the first February deadline, which has now been pushed to September ahead of COP30.
The hope is that COP30 will reignite ambition, but so far, current plans still fall short.
In Bonn, talks on how to implement GST conclusions revealed deep divides: developed and vulnerable countries called for a fossil fuel phaseout, while some emerging economies emphasized financing instead. No final consensus text emerged, nor any clear reference to a fossil fuel phaseout — something that would have built on the COP28 Dubai decision to transition away from fossil fuels.
3.2. Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)
Another key priority is the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). One of the main objectives is to develop 100 indicators to measure how effectively countries are adapting to climate impacts like droughts and floods.
Some progress was made in Bonn, including an agreement on the structure of the indicators: common core indicators, complemented by context-specific secondary ones. However, many disagreements remain unresolved, particularly on adaptation finance, meaning talks ended without a final deal.
3.3. Just Transition Work Programme
After years of deliberation, there’s emerging consensus that just transition needs to be integrated into NDCs.
A North–South divide persists; countries in the Global North want the work programme to focus on labour markets, while those in the Global South advocate for a more holistic approach to just transition.
Still, delegates in Bonn managed to agree on a draft negotiation text, an informal note to be forwarded to Belém to guide discussions. This opens the door to a more structured integration of just transition into UNFCCC processes. The programme is scheduled to end in 2026, though countries may agree to extend it beyond that.
Other notable developments included the absence of the United States (even though it remains a Party to the UNFCCC) and ongoing uncertainty about the host country for COP31 in 2026, with Australia (in partnership with Pacific islands) and Turkey both in the running.
In short, Bonn helped lay the groundwork for Belém, but deep divisions remain. COP30 will have a lot of ground to cover in a short time, all amid a difficult context for multilateral climate cooperation, marked by geopolitical tensions and environmental policy rollbacks around the world, including in Canada and Quebec.
4. How can people here connect with these international conversations?
Climate negotiations might seem distant, but they affect us all.
That’s what the Dialogues pour le climat are for — events like panels and post-COP debriefs that help people understand the issues and amplify civil society voices within climate diplomacy. They make these processes more accessible and inclusive, while strengthening the bridges between local realities and global decisions.
Above all, the Dialogues are cross-sector spaces for dialogue, learning and networking. The climate crisis touches every part of society, which is why it’s urgent to come together, share knowledge and build the political will needed for change.
The Dialogues aim to be a catalyst for action, collaboration and unity in the face of the climate emergency by empowering, connecting and inspiring those taking action. In a time of crisis, every fraction of a degree matters — and so does every act of mobilization.
Watch the webinar recording of the fifth edition of the Dialogues, “Comprendre les COP : 10 ans après l’Accord de Paris” (available in French only).