The 2025 Bonn Climate Conference concluded with little progress, revealing a growing strain on international climate cooperation. Despite mounting climate impacts and global instability, the negotiations were marked by familiar standoffs between developed and developing countries. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which observed the talks, described the outcome as a sign of weakened multilateralism, with developed nations showing little commitment to equitable climate action.
One area of modest progress came under the UAE-led Just Transition Work Programme, where negotiators managed to produce a draft text focused on economic-wide approaches to energy transition. It recognized the need for diverse pathways and proposed universal access to sustainable energy. Civil society contributions were included, and the draft will be taken forward to COP30 in Brazil later this year.
However, major stumbling blocks remained in other areas. Talks on implementing outcomes of the Global Stocktake a process to measure collective progress under the Paris Agreement fell apart. Developed nations pushed for regular synthesis reports to track progress, while developing countries emphasized national priorities and called for a focus on action rather than reporting. They also pushed for clearer references to the Paris Agreement’s Article 9.1, which deals with financial support responsibilities of developed countries.
Contentious debates also emerged around unilateral trade measures, such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Developing countries argued that such measures unfairly penalize their economies and shift the climate burden onto them. Despite calls to elevate these concerns within the UN climate architecture, developed countries insisted they be addressed in trade forums, not climate negotiations.
Adaptation negotiations also stalled. Disputes over how to define and track progress under the Global Goal on Adaptation, and disagreements on finance and reporting, led to little resolution. A draft informal note was the only tangible outcome, and further talks have been deferred to COP30.
Climate finance remained one of the most polarizing topics. During discussions on the “Baku to Belém Roadmap to $1.3 trillion,” developing nations called for more public, grant-based finance and warned against systemic financial barriers that inhibit climate investment. Developed countries, meanwhile, focused on private sector solutions and creating market-friendly environments.
Workshops under the Sharm el-Sheikh Dialogue explored how global finance systems could better support resilience and adaptation, especially in vulnerable countries. But again, fundamental differences surfaced over rules for financial transparency and risk.
Negotiations under the Mitigation Work Programme, aimed at encouraging climate ambition, also struggled. Developed countries hoped to use the platform to drive stronger commitments, but developing countries insisted that national priorities and support mechanisms must come first. A proposed digital platform for sharing mitigation actions did see some progress and is expected to launch at COP30.
Carbon markets were not formally negotiated, but workshops highlighted concerns over transparency and capacity, particularly under Article 6.2 and 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. Debates continued over the future of the Clean Development Mechanism and how to integrate non-market approaches under Article 6.8 into broader development goals.
With several key issues unresolved and geopolitical tensions running high, the Bonn conference ended without a clear path forward. As countries look ahead to COP30 in Brazil, there’s a growing fear that global climate cooperation is being undermined by power imbalances and a lack of political will—especially from the world’s wealthiest nations.