When we see roads flooded in Richmond, farmers in the Dales battling drought, or warnings of wildfires on the North York Moors, it can feel a long way from the global climate summits on the news. But these meetings, and the one going on now (10th – 18th November), have a direct impact on our future here.
This year, the world has been preparing for COP30. “COP” simply stands for “Conference of the Parties,” and it’s the annual UN meeting where nearly every country gathers to find a global solution to climate change.
The first COP was held 30 years ago. Since then, we’ve made slow but vital progress. In 1997, the first treaty was signed that legally required developed countries to cut their emissions. Then, in 2015, we had the Paris Agreement. This was the breakthrough moment when all nations finally agreed to a shared goal: to keep global warming well below 2°C, and aim for 1.5°C, to avoid the worst-case scenarios.
But as we all know here in North Yorkshire, we are already feeling the effects of the warming we’ve had. Studies show that storms like the ones that have repeatedly flooded our communities are being made more intense by climate change. The record-breaking dry spells threaten our harvests, our water supplies, and our precious moorlands.
Scientists are no longer giving us gentle warnings. A terrifying recent report confirmed we are on the brink of passing irreversible “tipping points”—from the collapse of ice sheets to the loss of vital ocean currents that regulate our weather.
This is why COP30, being held now in Belém, Brazil, is so critical. It’s been called the “Implementation COP,” which is just a long way of saying it’s time to stop talking and start doing.
The to-do list is clear and urgent:
- Stronger National Plans: Every country, including the UK, must show up with a new, much more aggressive plan to cut its emissions. Our current plans are not enough to meet the 1.5°C goal.
- Put Money on the Table: The world must finalise a new climate finance target, expected to be over $1.3 trillion a year. This isn’t a handout; it’s essential funding to help developing nations—and ourselves—build flood defences, protect food supplies, and invest in clean, affordable energy.
- Protect People Now: We must agree on a global plan for “adaptation”—helping communities everywhere, from the Amazon to the Yorkshire coast, prepare for the climate changes we can no longer prevent.
The decisions made in Belém will directly affect the future of our dales, our farms, and our way of life. For 30 years, the world has been slowly building the machinery to tackle this crisis. COP30 is the moment to finally pull the lever. The time for slow progress is over; the time for action is now.
Climate Action Stokesley and Villages 