UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties UNFCCC COP30 2025

---

The thirtieth Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP30) was hosted by the Government of Brazil from 10-21 November 2025 in the city of Belém. COP30 brought together delegates from over 190 countries including world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the private sector to discuss priority actions to tackle climate change. 

COP30 sought to build upon the Paris Agreement signed at COP21 and discussions from subsequent COPs, in addition to periodic efforts to assess the implementation of the Paris Agreement (the Global Stocktake) to mobilize voluntary climate action through emission reductions, climate adaptation, and the transition to sustainable economies.

A key pillar of COP is the Presidency ‘Action Agenda’, which mobilizes actors that do not negotiate political agreements (i.e., non-party stakeholders) but are essential for implementing climate action, including governments, civil society, academics, businesses, and investors. At COP30, the Brazilian Presidency’s Action Agenda was organized across six thematic areas and 30 key objectives. As part of the “transforming agriculture and food systems” thematic area, aquatic foods were prominently featured in the Action Agenda and in side events throughout the two-week conference.

The Aquatic Blue Food Coalition at COP30

The Aquatic Blue Food Coalition and its members were active participants throughout COP30. Through coordinated communications and collaborative planning by its members, the coalition organized events that brought together policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to highlight the critical role of aquatic foods as climate solutions, share experiences and best practices, and identify priority actions for the future.

A few notable outcomes related to the ABFC and aquatic foods at COP30:

• Aquatic food systems were included in the COP30 Action Agenda Final Report. In the report, two “Plans to Accelerate Solutions” with aquatic food systems were launched. Theses “plans advance coordinated action to strengthen sustainable aquaculture, integrate aquatic foods into national climate strategies, and scale seaweed-based solutions that contribute to mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity protection, while supporting coastal communities, women, youth and small-scale producers.” The ABFC is noted as a cooperating entity in the Plan to Accelerate Aquatic Food Systems as Climate Solutions. As such, the ABFC will be playing an important role in help implement a thematic area of the Action Agenda and one of the 30 key objectives identified by the COP30 Presidency.
• The ABFC signed onto a joint letter of Action Agenda initiatives focused on the “era of implementation.” The joint letter pledges that its signatories will act on the “Plans to Accelerate Solutions” now, while pledging continued support to future Presidencies and Climate High-Level Champions.

The Aquatic Blue Food Coalition was an organizer or participant at six events at COP30, helping bring attention to the importance of aquatic foods on the global stage:

Aquatic Blue Food Coalition confirmed events at COP30:

• Transforming Blue Food Systems for Equity, Resilience, and Climate Action
  • Date: November 17
  • Time: 10:30-11:30am
  • Location: Pavilion PV-E170 | Blue Zone 
  • Organizers: Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation(EMBRAPA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Rare, European Bureau for Conservation and Development, WorldFish, Environmental Defense Fund, World Resources Institute, Aquatic Life Institute (ALI), Coastal 500Network; Food and Land Use Coalition Colombia, and the Ariari Sustainable Mayors Network.

• Roteiro Nice-Bonn-Belém Para A Promoção Dos Alimentos Aquáticos Como Soluções Climáticas
  • Date: November 17
  • Time: 4:40-5:55pm
  • Location: AgriZone | Auditorium 2
  • Organizers: Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Brazil (Special Advisory Office for International Affairs), in collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the United Nations, WorldFish, European Bureau for Conservation and Development, Environmental Defense Fund, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Global Seaweed Coalition, and United Nations Global Seaweed Initiative (UNGSI)

• Aquatic Foods For Climate Action: Resilient Solutions From Small-Scale Fisheries And Aquaculture
  • Date: November 18
  • Time: 12:40-1:55pm
  • Location: AgriZone | Auditorium 3
  • Organizers: Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA Environment), Aquatic Blue Food Coalition (ABFC), WorldFish, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD), and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Special Advisory Office for International Affairs)

• Seaweed and aquatic foods – blue solutions for climate resilience
  • Date: November 19
  • Time: 9:30-10:30am
  • Location: Blue Zone | Action Agenda
  • Organizers: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Global Seaweed Initiative (UNGSI), UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Industrial Development Agency (UNIDO), United Nations Global Compact, UNESCO-IOC, Brazil Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition (ABFC), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Global Seaweed Coalition (GSC), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), WorldFish, European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD)

• Aquatic Foods For Climate Action: Cooperation Mechanisms To Support Small-Scale Fisheries & Seaweed Aquaculture (working title)
  • Date: November 20
  • Time: 12:00-1:00pm
  • Location: Blue Zone | Ocean Pavilion
  • Organizers: MPA with FAO, UNCTAD, Aquatic Food & Ocean Breakthroughs, Marrakech Partnership, CGIAR/WorldFish, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition (ABFC), Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions

• Delivering On The COP30 Action Agenda And Global Stocktake Through Aquatic Blue Foods
  • Date: November 20
  • Time: 1:15-2:45pm
  • Location: Blue Zone | UNFCCC | Side Event Room 3
  • Organizers: Panel organized by WorldFish and the European Bureau for Conservation and Development, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Aquatic Blue Food Coalition (ABFC), the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)