"Brazil wants to steer the negotiations toward 'implementation', in other words to move from commitments to action," stresses Pierrette Rey, spokesperson for WWF Switzerland.
Ten years ago, as part of the Paris Agreement, the world made a promise: to limit global warming well below 2 °C and to aim, if possible, for 1.5 °C. This commitment was not a mere diplomatic declaration, but the expression of a civilizational choice: to preserve ecosystems as well as the conditions that allow prosperous human life on Earth.
Today, we know that this trajectory is under severe strain. Global greenhouse gas emissions are not declining at the necessary pace, and the planet appears to be heading toward warming above 2.8 °C. Switzerland, for its part, is warming at about twice the global average, according to several studies.
However, it would be premature to speak of failure. For in a decade, a notable change has begun: the world has embarked on its energy transition — more quickly, moreover, than one might think at first glance. Recall that at the time the Paris Agreement was signed, projections indicated warming of around 4 °C.
In 2024, nearly 90% of new power generation capacity installed worldwide comes from wind and solar. For the current year, investments in renewable energies are expected to be about twice as high as those devoted to oil, gas and coal. Photovoltaic costs, for their part, have fallen by nearly 70% in ten years, making this technology not only economically sound, but also much cheaper than fossil alternatives.
And Switzerland, in all this? Our country has the assets to play a leading role, but it must now align its ambitions with its capacities.
On the automotive side, a positive evolution is also emerging: one in five cars sold today is electric, compared with one in a hundred about ten years ago. This reversal is profound. It shows that the energy transition is no longer a utopia: it is already our reality. And it asserts itself naturally, because it has become less costly, more efficient, while generating jobs, innovation and greater energy sovereignty.
Now the task is to accelerate. And this is precisely where COP30, organized in Belém, takes on a particular dimension. For the first time, a global climate summit is being held at the gates of the tropical forest, there where part of the future of the climate and humanity is being played out. Brazil wishes to steer the negotiations toward "implementation", in other words to move from commitments to action. This implies a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels, a massive deployment of renewables, improved energy efficiency, protection of ecosystems and rights for local populations, as well as fair financing in favor of the most vulnerable countries.
And Switzerland, in all this? Our country has the assets to play a leading role, but it must now align its ambitions with its capacities. The development of solar and wind remains too slow, and our international financial contribution must be strengthened.
WWF, in particular, expects Switzerland to commit to providing at least 3 billion dollars as part of the annual climate financing planned from 2035 — an amount which, despite its importance, remains far below estimated global needs. Accelerating is not taking on a burden: it is seizing a historic opportunity.
So yes, the task is immense. Yes, the road will not be straight. And yes, fossil interests oppose — and will oppose — with fierce resistance. But history moves forward. And it moves fast.
The reality is simple: the energy transition has a cost, but inaction has a much higher one. And that cost is already manifesting itself spectacularly: heatwaves, droughts, glacier collapse, increased pressure on water resources, agricultural losses. In the European Union, extreme weather conditions generated estimated losses of 43 billion euros for 2025 alone, due to heatwaves, droughts and floods. By 2029, these losses could reach 126 billion euros, or about 0.8% of the EU's GDP.
Conversely, every franc invested in the transition creates local jobs, reduces our dependence on imported energy, strengthens our energy security and stimulates innovation. Solar on our roofs and facades, properly planned wind power, smart electricity grids, cleaner air thanks to electric mobility — while air pollution still causes thousands of deaths each year — all of this does not belong to a distant future. It is our present. We just need to implement it.
So yes, the task is immense. Yes, the road will not be straight. And yes, fossil interests oppose — and will oppose — with fierce resistance. But history moves forward. And it moves fast.
In Belém, it is not just about negotiating texts. It is about rekindling momentum, consolidating a course, bringing people together around a positive project: that of an economy that protects life instead of destroying it, that liberates instead of imprisoning, that builds instead of defending the indefensible.
What we must assert in Belém is clear:
We do not retreat.
We move forward.
We have the solutions.
We have the technology.
We have the responsibility.
And above all: we have the opportunity. The time has come to seize it.
This article has been automatically translated using AI. If you notice any errors, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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