Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The latest United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Belém, Pará, Brazil, was once again a sobering reminder of how far our collective ambition continues to fall short.Although part of the global population is genuinely concerned about climate change and its impact on social justice, workers' rights, Indigenous rights, and nature conservation, world leaders continue to demonstrate, at each new conference, their failure to confront the problem with the urgency it demands.The main outcomes announced in Belém included:(i) a tripling of adaptation finance;(ii) the establishment of a just transition mechanism;(iii) reaffirmation of the 1.5°C goal (with the possibility of limited overshoot);(iv) progress on global adaptation indicators;(v) a strong focus on forests, biodiversity, and Indigenous peoples; and(vi) the so-called "Belém Package," signalling a shift toward implementation.Yet several critical issues remain unresolved:(i) no binding agreement to phase out fossil fuels;(ii) adaptation funding timelines widely seen as insufficient and slow; and(iii) many commitments still voluntary rather than mandatory.For 30 years, we have been discussing a scientifically proven crisis, and the most tangible outcomes so far are treaties, pacts, declarations, and political statements intended to guide global climate action-important, but far from Citation
Author: Eduardo Jacob-Lopes
Institution: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7162669048