US Governors, Indigenous Reps, Oil Sector Dominate COP30 Talks

This week in sustainability news: At the COP30 summit in Belem, Brazil, US governors Gavin Newsom and Michelle Lujan Grisham pledged to continue the US fight against climate change, despite President Donald Trump’s absence from the summit. Meanwhile, disputes over Indigenous access and oil sector influence dominated the first week of the climate talks. At the summit, TotalEnergies committed US$100 million to the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) Climate Fund. 

More news below:

US Governors Pledge Climate Action as Trump Skips COP30

At the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, California Governor Gavin Newsom and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham reaffirmed the US commitment to combating climate change, despite President Donald Trump’s decision not to send an official delegation — the first time in US history the country has skipped the global conference. 

COP30 Talks Center on Indigenous Access and Oil-Sector Influence

Indigenous representation and disputes over access to decision-making took center stage in the opening days of COP30, with hundreds of Indigenous protestors breaking into the summit venue in Belem. They not only demanded direct access to high-level negotiations, but also an end to oil-sector lobbying within the COP format. The demands come after a recent report from The Guardian, which found that approximately 5,350 fossil fuel–linked representatives have attended UN climate summits over the past four years. 

TotalEnergies Commits US$100 Million to OGDC Climate Fund

TotalEnergies announced a US$100 million commitment to Climate Investment’s (CI) Venture Strategy fund during COP30. The commitment builds on CI’s portfolio, which includes 46 companies focused on methane detection and abatement, carbon capture and energy efficiency. These projects have generated a cumulative impact of 133 million mt of CO2e since 2019. 

Mexico Unveils 2025-2030 Plan to Curb Deforestation

Mexico has formalized a national strategy to curb deforestation and strengthen forest governance with the publication of the National Forestry Commission’s (CONAFOR) Institutional Program 2025–2030. The program outlines a nationwide target to achieve net-zero deforestation by 2030, while prioritizing the restoration of priority ecosystems to recover ecological functionality and strengthen connections between landscapes affected by degradation.

Mexico City Moves to Regulate Light Pollution

The Mexico City Congress has approved an initiative to reform and add various provisions to the Environmental Law for the Protection of Land in the Federal District concerning light pollution. A new transitional article was also approved, requiring the city’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) to begin drafting an environmental standard that will establish maximum permissible levels of artificial light and regulate its emissions. The agency must also define procedures to monitor light pollution and determine which establishments will be subject to regulation.