What COP Is — and Why Circular Economy Will Matter in Belém
By Priya Saikumar
As another COP opens in Brazil, here’s a quick, readable refresher from the Academics for Circular Economy (ACE) research team, who have followed the last two “seasons” of COP, analysed every official decision, and mapped what it could mean for the circular economy in 2025 and beyond.
Every year, the world gathers under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for what is officially known as the Conference of the Parties (COP) — an annual global meeting where countries assess progress on the Paris Agreement, update their commitments, and negotiate how to finance and measure climate action. Think of it as a long-running series where each “episode” brings new alliances, surprises, and cliffhangers for the planet’s future.
For us at ACE, this annual rhythm matters because climate and circularity are inseparable. Climate change is not only about how we produce energy; it is also about how we produce, consume, and discard materials. This year feels particularly significant because COP30 will take place in Brazil, the same country that hosted the World Circular Economy Forum earlier this year — where the Brazilian presidency clearly positioned the circular economy as a “strategic, long-term solution” to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
How the Circular Economy Connects to COP
At first glance, the circular economy and climate negotiations may seem worlds apart — one focused on waste and products, the other on emissions and temperature targets. In reality, the link is strong.
COP decisions set the rules for global climate finance and technology transfer. They define what counts as mitigation, what qualifies for international funding, and which metrics define progress. When these rules begin to value resource efficiency, product lifetime, or material reuse, circular economy principles become embedded in the climate policy framework itself.
Even when the words “circular economy” do not explicitly appear in COP decisions, the underlying principles already influence many workstreams — from the Green Climate Fund that supports low-carbon projects, to the Technology Mechanism that shares innovations across countries, and the Mitigation and Adaptation Work Programmes that determine which actions are prioritised.
COP28 in Dubai — Introducing Circular Economy
The first major turning point came in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai. For the first time in COP history, the term “circular economy approaches” appeared in an official decision under the Global Stocktake, a process reviewing collective progress toward the Paris Agreement’s goals.
While this might sound technical, it matters greatly — once a concept enters the Stocktake, it becomes part of how countries report progress. The decision explicitly called for “transitioning to sustainable lifestyles and sustainable patterns of consumption and production, including through circular economy approaches.”
Beyond this symbolic milestone, several new mechanisms opened doors for circular thinking:
The Global Goal on Adaptation launched the UAE–Belém Work Programme to design indicators for resilience — potentially including metrics for durable, repairable infrastructure.
The Just Transition Work Programme began exploring how countries can shift to low-carbon economies while creating new, decent jobs — directly aligning with repair, upcycling, and remanufacturing sectors.
The long-awaited Loss and Damage Fund was established, creating new financial channels to help vulnerable countries rebuild after climate disasters — opportunities where “build-back-better” circular practices can thrive.
In short, Dubai gave the circular economy a seat at the table. It embedded the language of reuse and resource efficiency into the UN climate vocabulary and laid the foundations for integrating these concepts into global implementation.
COP29 in Baku — From Talk to Infrastructure
A year later, at COP29 in Baku (2024), the focus shifted from rhetoric to implementation. The Azerbaijani presidency concentrated on how to finance and operationalise the promises made in Dubai. Although “circular economy” was not mentioned by name, the resulting architecture quietly built the systems needed for a circular transition.
The most consequential outcome was the creation of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) — a global target of at least USD 300 billion per year by 2035, with aspirations reaching USD 1.3 trillion. While this goal does not specify project types, it sets the scale of resources that could finance circular infrastructure, resource-efficient manufacturing, and repair ecosystems.
Meanwhile, the Mitigation Work Programme dedicated its 2024 cycle to “cities, buildings, and urban systems.” It highlighted retrofitting existing buildings and reducing embodied emissions in materials — direct reflections of circular design principles.
The Global Goal on Adaptation adopted the Baku Adaptation Roadmap, aiming to develop up to 100 global indicators by 2025. If these include metrics for material durability or reuse, they could transform circular concepts into measurable adaptation outcomes.
Another quiet breakthrough emerged under Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement, covering “non-market approaches.” At Baku, Parties launched the digital platform where such approaches can be registered — allowing countries to present and seek support for eco-design laws, extended producer responsibility, or circular public procurement policies within the UN climate framework.
Finally, several long-term programmes were renewed:
The Response Measures Forum adopted a 2026–2030 work plan explicitly referencing “just transitions.”
The Gender and Technology Mechanisms extended their mandates with stronger emphasis on inclusion and innovation.
Together, these developments formed the backbone of a climate system that rewards durability, repair, and innovation — all central to circularity.
In short, Baku translated Dubai’s ideas into the machinery of implementation. Circular economy was no longer merely recognised; it began to shape financial, technological, and social systems within the UNFCCC.
COP30 in Belém — What Lies Ahead
Comparing COP28 and COP29, a clear pattern emerges: Dubai introduced the term into official text; Baku embedded its logic into practical mechanisms for finance, mitigation, adaptation, and cooperation.
This reflects a fundamental dynamic of the COP process — once a concept enters the vocabulary, the next step is to design the instruments, metrics, and budgets to make it real. For the circular economy, that journey is now well underway.
The provisional agenda for COP30 suggests Belém will focus on linking climate ambition to tangible delivery — creating new entry points for circular action.
Key areas to watch:
Finance: Negotiators will review guidance for the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, and the Loss and Damage Fund — a crucial moment to ensure these explicitly recognise resource efficiency and circular infrastructure as eligible investments.
Technology: The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) is under review, offering an opportunity to embed circular solutions directly into the UN’s technology support framework.
Adaptation: COP30 aims to finalise a concise list of global indicators for resilience. Including metrics for resource efficiency could anchor circular principles within adaptation policy.
Additionally, new agenda items widen the scope for circular debates:
Discussions under Article 9(1) on climate finance obligations could redefine “demand-side mitigation.”
A new item on trade-restrictive unilateral measures may open dialogue on how circular standards interact with international trade law.
The Response Measures and Just Transition workstreams will continue — especially relevant for Brazil, where integrating informal and grassroots actors into the circular transition is key.
Taken together, these elements suggest Belém could become the first COP where the circular economy moves from subtext to strategy.
Closing thoughts
To sum up, COP28 put circularity into words, COP29 built the scaffolding, and COP30 could bring it to life. With Brazil hosting both the World Circular Economy Forum and COP30 within the same year, the momentum is undeniable.
At ACE, we will keep tracking how the circular economy evolves inside the UN climate process. We’ll continue to post updates as the negotiations unfold.
We are researchers who believe in transparency and collaboration. All decisions cited in this article are official UNFCCC documents: COP28 / CMA5 – 1/CMA.5 to 5/CMA.5 and 1/CP.28; COP29 / CMA6 and CP.29 decisions on finance, mitigation, adaptation, technology, and response measures; COP30 – FCCC/CP/2025/1 provisional agenda.)(All decisions cited are official UNFCCC documents: COP28 / CMA5 – 1/CMA.5 to 5/CMA.5 and 1/CP.28; COP29 / CMA6 and CP.29 decisions on finance, mitigation, adaptation, technology, and response measures; COP30 – FCCC/CP/2025/1 provisional agenda. All our analyses — including coded datasets of official decisions and our comparative tables used to write this article — will be shared openly through our Open Science repository. For questions, please contact Priya Saikumar from the ACE team.
