The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is currently being held in Belém, Brazil, from November 10 to 21. The summit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, yet growing signs of backsliding in global climate negotiations are cause for concern.

Major Emitters Absent

Worsening geopolitical tensions, economic slowdowns, and rising unemployment have led many governments to prioritize domestic issues, dampening enthusiasm for climate policymaking and international cooperation. According to media reports, fewer than 60 national leaders have confirmed attendance at COP30 this year. U.S. President Donald Trump has decided not to send any senior federal officials from Washington to the summit, with only representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Brazil expected to attend. Fortunately, delegations from 26 U.S. states will participate. China will be represented by Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, while Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will be absent. India will send a delegation led by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. By contrast, European participation is relatively strong: U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are all expected to attend COP30.

At the Belém Summit, the reduced presence of top-level representatives from the world's largest emitters is likely to hinder substantive progress on key issues such as climate finance and emissions reduction responsibilities. It may also lead to scaled-back or delayed implementation of climate pledges. Longstanding divergences between developed and developing countries, rooted in differing interests and priorities, continue to complicate global climate governance.

High Energy and Water Consumption in the "Smart Industry"

Digital technologies are empowering urban governance and driving low-carbon urban transitions. It is a shared frontier of innovation and experimentation worldwide, often considered to be one of the best practices for climate resilience. Yet, as global digital transformation accelerates, tensions between technological progress and sustainability are becoming increasingly visible. There is controversy over whether technological innovation comes at the expense of humanity's basic conditions for survival and development.

Artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductor manufacturing, cloud data centers, and cryptocurrency mining have all driven energy and water consumption to unprecedented levels, placing immense strain on the environment's carrying capacity. By 2030, global freshwater demand is expected to exceed supply by 40%, leaving an estimated 1.6 billion people without access to safe drinking water.

Training generative AI models, for instance, is a process that consumes vast amounts of electricity and water. As the global AI race intensifies, the demand for computing power continues to soar. Technology giants OpenAI, Oracle, and Related Digital plan to jointly build a data center complex exceeding one gigawatt in capacity in Saline Township, Michigan, by early 2026, to expand the United States' AI infrastructure. The investment is projected to reach about USD 50 billion, a one-gigawatt computing facility where its electricity is capable of powering roughly 750,000 U.S. homes.

Collective Action in the Face of Disasters

What is particularly alarming is that climate change is causing extreme weather events to become more frequent and unpredictable, and even the most advanced technologies struggle to keep up with the pace of floods, storms, and droughts. In today's highly digitized and interconnected urban environments, large-scale power outages can bring smart cities, reliant on communication technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT), to a halt almost instantly. Equally concerning is the social cost of climate change. This could very well add significant pressure to social systems, triggering widespread public dissatisfaction and potentially disrupting social order.

On April 28, 2025, the southern Iberian Peninsula experienced a massive power outage. Major cities in Spain and Portugal were left without electricity, with parts of southern France also affected. The blackout impacted approximately 60 million people and caused disruptions to urban supply chain. In some areas, the power failure lasted for over ten hours. Mobile networks and internet services were completely disrupted, and underground transportation systems were thrown into chaos. Public sectors crucial to daily life, such as communications and healthcare, were severely impacted.

This summer, China faced the simultaneous challenges of extreme heat and flooding, with several cities plunged into chaos. The weather's extremity surpassed previous records, leading to water and power shortages, along with breakdowns in communication and transportation systems. Emergency responses were delayed in some regions. On June 20, the looting of shops in Huaiji County of Guangdong Province in Southern China, triggered by floods, trended as the top news story. This is a clear example on how public disorder during a disaster often garners more media attention than the disaster itself.

Symbiosis Evolution

Climate change is no longer merely a matter of graphs on temperature and data predictions; it has evolved beyond a single environmental issue and is now viewed as a complex systemic problem intricately linked to energy transitions, technological advancement, employment growth, and the continuous improvement of living standards. Scientists point out that there are significant interactions between critical components of the Earth system, where one "tipping point" may trigger another, leading to a cascade effect and further destabilization of the system as a whole. Clearly, countries' climate governance capabilities are facing an unprecedented challenge.

Climate strategies are increasingly intertwined with national security, economic policies, industrial policies, and environmental agendas. Decision-makers must rethink their approach to climate governance, leveraging their unique strengths and fostering coordination among various stakeholders. Although the United States has become less proactive in multilateral climate negotiations, the global momentum for emissions reduction and decarbonization continues to build, becoming an unstoppable trend, one that developed nations cannot afford to ignore. Developing countries, on the other hand, are eager to play a more central role, actively participating in climate dialogues, expanding green supply chains, and strengthening collaboration in environmental science, global disaster relief, and public health. They are also exploring solutions based on self-organizing governance.

At its core, global climate governance must aim for a "minimum consensus" and rationally construct an order where different groups can coexist and develop together. Every single individual must make some form of change, in one way or another.