Breakthrough Agenda: How to Prepare for a Productive COP30
As the curtain closes on COP29, it's already time to begin preparations for COP30.
In 2025, the coastal city of Belém, Brazil, will host the world's leaders as they attempt to consolidate and build on the progress made in Baku.
One important point of progress at COP29 was with the Breakthrough Agenda, an international framework which helps to coordinate efforts in climate action.
In Baku, 61 governments representing 80% of global emissions came together at COP29 in support of the Breakthrough Agenda, hoping to strengthen international collaboration across more than 150 international initiatives.
The purpose? To accelerate action ahead of COP30, ensuring that communication and project management is streamlined from day one.
What exactly is the Breakthrough Agenda?
The initiative, first set up at COP27, focuses on enhancing international cooperation across high-emitting sectors including road transport, power, steel, buildings and hydrogen.
In 2024, more focus was placed on the agenda than ever before.
By developing Priority International Actions each year, the Breakthrough Agenda aims to drive progress towards sustainable development goals, increase market demand, facilitate finance and research and development, addressing barriers through improved cooperation on standards and certification.
As Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), says, "85% of business leaders recognise that stronger global cooperation is critical to enable a net zero transition," making this agenda crucial for transformative action.
COP29: Laying the groundwork for progress
COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, concluded with the launch of the 'Baku' Priority International Actions, a comprehensive framework designed to drive progress towards sustainable development goals for 2030 and beyond.
61 governments, representing over 80% of global emissions, came together to support these initiatives, which focus on key sectors such as road transport, power generation, steel production, buildings and hydrogen.
Peter highlights the importance of these actions, saying: "The launch of the Baku Priority International Actions is a crucial milestone in advancing the public-private cooperation needed to achieve our shared climate goals.
"At WBCSD, we are committed to catalysing impactful business leadership through the Breakthrough Agenda."
Some of the key focus areas for COP30
The Breakthrough Agenda has identified several key sectors for transformation:
- Road Transport: Expanding the Global Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) Transition Roadmap to increase ZEV adoption in emerging markets.
- Power Generation: Tripling renewable power capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements.
- Steel and Cement: Defining low and near-zero emissions standards to facilitate adoption within national policies by 2025.
- Buildings: Launching a Global Framework for Action for Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings (NZERB).
Ed Miliband, UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, underscored the significance of these initiatives: "If we want to protect our country from energy shocks, and the runaway cost of climate catastrophe, we have to work with other countries to protect our planet".
Financial and policy commitments
Countries are preparing to submit new Nationally Determined Contributions by February 2025. The European Union's methane abatement partnership roadmap will also be reviewed at COP30. These discussions will be crucial for aligning financial commitments with policy objectives.
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), emphasised the need for cooperation.
"IEA analysis makes it clear that cooperation among governments and the private sector is a vital part of efforts to reach international energy and climate goals," he says.
Enhancing global collaboration
The Breakthrough Agenda's Priority International Actions aim to strengthen international collaboration across more than 150 initiatives. These actions focus on increasing market demand, finance, research and development (R&D), and addressing barriers through enhanced cooperation on standards and certification.
The COP29 Presidency’s Hydrogen Action Declaration exemplifies this collaborative spirit by strengthening political support for scaling clean hydrogen production. The Declaration emphasizes leveraging existing efforts like the Hydrogen Breakthrough to advance commitments.
Looking ahead to Belém
COP30 represents a pivotal moment in translating ambitious goals into concrete actions. The conference will focus on implementing recommendations from various projects and initiatives outlined in the Breakthrough Agenda 2025 report. This includes fostering coordinated international action and tracking progress towards clean power.
Sophie Graham, CSO at IFS, highlights the importance of aligning capital deployment with environmental impact.
"Considering the two most critical enablers of a sustainable future are technology and capital, there will be an influx of investments in asset-intensive industries like manufacturing and logistics next year," she says.
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