This Climate Emergency Forum episode offers a candid, sometimes sobering wrap-up of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, asking what really happened at a summit billed as the “COP of truth” and “implementation.” Herb Simmens hosts environmental attorney Dan Galpern, along with regular panelists Dr. Peter Carter and climate system scientist Paul Beckwith, to unpack why promises to phase out fossil fuels once again failed to translate into concrete, enforceable action. The discussion highlights the widening gap between climate science, international law, and the political will on display in the final COP30 communique.
This video was recorded on November 26th and 29th, 2025, and published on December 1st, 2025, and represents the opinions of the discussion participants.
Dan shares insider insights from his work with Dr. James Hansen and his role in the landmark International Court of Justice decision, explaining how that ruling makes Paris Agreement commitments part of international law—and why it was still ignored in Brazil. Peter traces the evolution from COP26 and COP28, where fossil fuels finally entered the official text, to COP30’s last‑minute reversal on implementation, while Paul dissects the political theatre of mega‑COPs dominated by fossil fuel interests, logistical absurdities, and non‑binding pledges. Together, they examine the vacuum of genuine leadership, the influence of major producers, and the structural limits of a process with plenty of talk but no enforcement.
In the final segment, the panel looks at what still moved forward: new initiatives on deforestation roadmaps, adaptation finance, worker and community rights, gender and health action plans, urban “Beat the Heat” efforts, and national commitments such as South Korea’s coal phase‑out by 2040. Herb closes with climate and energy news—from floating solar in Korea to mushroom‑based car interiors and balcony solar—contrasted with rollbacks of environmental protections in the United States, underscoring how fast reality is diverging from COP rhetoric. Subscribe to Climate Emergency Forum for ongoing, unflinching analysis of abrupt climate change, disrupted climate systems, biodiversity loss, and the emergency solutions the world urgently needs.
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Dr. Peter Carter - MD, Expert IPCC Reviewer and the director of the Climate Emergency Institute
Paul Beckwith - Climate Systems Scientist. Professor at the University of Ottawa’s Paleoclimatology Laboratory as well as at Carleton University
Herb Simmens - Author, Co-founder of the Healthy Planet Action Coalition (HPAC), Climate Emergency Board Member and former college instructor.
Charles Gregoire - Electrical Engineer, Webmaster and IT prime for FacingFuture.Earth & the Climate Emergency Forum; Climate Reality Leader
Heidi Brault - Climate Reality Leader, BA(Psychology), Library & Information Technician Diploma - Video production and website assistant - Organizer and convener, Metadata technician, COP Team Lead for FacingFuture.Earth and the Climate Emergency Forum.
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