Carmel Cacopardo
Although, at the time of writing, the year 2025 has not yet given way to 2026, it is already clear that 2025 will be among the top three warmest years on record. This is definitely not good news as it signifies that we are getting ever more distant from implementing the conclusions of the Paris Climate Summit.
In Paris, ten years ago, the international community had arrived at an agreement and set a target benchmark. It was then concluded that the pre-industrial global average temperature was not to be exceeded by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. This benchmark was agreed to on the insistence of the community of small island states, primarily those in the Pacific, which are already feeling the brunt of climate change impacts through sea level rise. Breaching the 1.5-degree Celsius benchmark is a death sentence for a number of low-lying Pacific islands. They will, in the not-too-distant future be below sea level.
The current state of affairs signifies that climate change impacts will get much worse before they can get any better. We have arrived at this state because the international community did not live up to its commitments in terms of the Paris Summit conclusions.
COP 30, the latest climate summit within the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), just concluded in Belém, Brazil, is definitely not one of the successful climate summits. It is downright disappointing as it has led to no measurable progress. Climate Action Tracker, the independent scientific project that tracks the climate action of governments, calculates that we are currently on track of warming of 2.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial average temperatures by the year 2100.
This projected increase is almost double the benchmark agreed to at Paris. It will signify an intensification of extreme weather conditions all around the globe. Drought in parts of the world, with flooding in other parts, will lead to an exponential rise of climate change refugees, a reduced access to water and a multiplication of problems in coastal areas. Agriculture will be hit severely world-wide, and consequently problems with food production will multiply on a global level. Agriculture is being impacted primarily as a result of changing rainfall patterns as well as extremes of temperatures.
Scientists at the Danish Meteorological Office have concluded that Greenland, during the 2024-25 season has lost 105 billion tonnes of ice which will undoubtedly contribute to a further rise in sea level.
Notwithstanding all this, the European Union has started backtracking on a number of Green Deal initiatives. It has moved away from the complete ban of internal combustion engines by 2035, requiring instead a 90 per cent reduction of carbon emissions from new vehicles by 2035. In addition, the EU has started scaling down its environmental laws.
One wonders what is in store for 2026. Lobbying in favour of fossil fuels is intensifying. Corporate Europe Observatory, which monitors lobbying within European states, recently reported that one out of every 25 COP30 attendees was lobbying for dirty energy interests. It was reported that, for example, the EU member states, together, accredited more than 80 fossil fuel lobbyists on their COP30 delegations. With 22 lobbyists, France was the worst offender. Italy was a close second with 12 fossil fuel lobbyists as members of its delegation. This was done by including fossil fuel executives from TotalEnergies and Edison SA as part of the national delegations.
It is no wonder that COP30 at Belém did not deliver any meaningful results. On this basis we should, unfortunately, expect more scaling down of environmental and Green Deal measures in 2026.
Most disappointing of all is the European Union which is backtracking on its climate change commitments. The situation is expected to get worse in 2026.
Carmel Cacopardo ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson
published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 4 January 2026
