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COP30 in Belém was many things at once: intense, energising, humbling, and at times deeply confronting. Now that the dust has settled and my schedule has returned to its familiar rhythm, I’ve finally had the space to reflect on what these past days truly meant. I’ve attended many COPs over the years, but this one stood apart; not because the headlines were drastically different, but because the conversations felt sharper, more urgent, and more honest.
This COP made it clear that we’re no longer negotiating in the abstract. The world’s carbon budget is shrinking, climate impacts are compounding, and the gap between ambition and implementation is widening. The discussions on finance, just transition, carbon markets, biodiversity, and health all pointed to the same conclusion: we don’t have a problem of targets; we have a problem of delivery. As I said in one of my media interviews during the week, “It’s not just about targets anymore; it’s about trust, timelines, and tangible transitions.” That sentiment held true in every room I entered.
The first lesson: ambition, without credibility, is no longer tolerated.
Stakeholders whether governments, civil society, or the private sector are increasingly scrutinised not by what they commit to, but by what they can show. This COP was a litmus test for credibility. Countries and companies that showed clear transition plans, transparent accounting, and verifiable progress earned trust. Those who offered vague pathways quickly found their narratives challenged. And rightly so. The window for vague optimism is long gone.
The second lesson: climate and nature are converging, and so must our solutions.
Being in Brazil, a country that embodies both the fragility and importance of ecosystems, reinforced how climate and biodiversity are inseparable. Conversations around the “Peace with Nature” ethos, the leadership of Indigenous peoples, and the lived experiences of communities on the frontlines reminded me that the climate crisis is not just a scientific or economic issue; it’s deeply cultural and profoundly human.
It pushed me to rethink how we design market mechanisms, disclosure frameworks, and transition strategies. We cannot continue to separate carbon from nature, nature from people, or people from justice. Mechanisms like carbon markets will only earn legitimacy if they are built on integrity and inclusivity. That requires deeper work: integrating science, engineering, local wisdom, and community voices into the methodologies that underpin our systems. We need more scientists, engineers, and technical experts to help shape the architecture of carbon markets not as bystanders, but as co-creators.
The third lesson: ASEAN is moving, but we need coherence and courage.
Supporting regional conversations around the ASEAN Common Carbon Framework (ACCF) reminded me how critical it is for Southeast Asia to find its own path, not as an observer of global climate politics, but as a region with the potential to lead. The interest is strong. The momentum is there. But what we need now is confidence: confidence to set standards that work for our region, confidence to align public and private sectors, and confidence to invest in systems that will serve us for decades.
The final lesson: the work doesn’t end in Belém.
On the flight back to Kuala Lumpur, somewhere over the Atlantic, I found myself thinking not about what was said at COP, but about what must happen next. COPs are milestones, not finish lines. And as I passed the baton to colleagues who stayed on for the remaining negotiations, I carried home a quiet reminder: delivery is not a slogan; it is a discipline.
There is still so much to do: decoding the implications of global stocktake outcomes, strengthening transition plans, building the ASEAN carbon ecosystem, investing in nature, and continuing to centre people in every conversation.
COP30 reinforced one truth: we don’t move the world through statements; we move it through systems, integrity, and collective courage.
And that work continues; starting now.
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