People power on display around the world this week, with demonstrations, protests and performances calling for a safer, cleaner planet and more just societies. Here are a few highlights.

The Netherlands – A mass demonstration took place in The Hague on October 26th, just before the Dutch House of Representatives elections. More than 45.000 people demand a radical change of course from the new government: a just and habitable future for our children, for each other, and for the planet.

France – Protest groups including CGT 93, CGT Roissy, FO, Solidaires, SUD Aérien and the Ligue des droits de l’Homme — denounced the transit through Roissy Airport of military equipment or so-called ‘dual-use’ components, i.e. those that can be used in both civilian and military applications, destined for Israel. They are demanding an immediate halt to all French exports that could contribute to Israeli military operations, including those that do not legally fall within the strict definition of military equipment.

Philippines – Survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) are taking Shell to court for the great harm they suffered from the storm that claimed 405 lives and injured over 1,400 others in 2021. Pictured in the foreground: Arnold Obguia, community member.

Italy – Greenpeace Italy activists in Rome unveiled a massive bill with a long list of extreme climate events that have occurred over the past 10 years, from the Paris Agreement to today, and an estimate of the costs society is already paying and will pay. The total bill presented exceeds €5 trillion, equal to the economic damage associated with six of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies according to Greenpeace research.

U.K. – A team of Greenpeace activists install prison bars around three iconic statues – Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and the Suffragist Millicent Fawcett – in Parliament Square, London. The installation is a protest against the UK government’s crackdown on protest, implemented through the proscription of Palestine Action, and new powers for police to clamp down on protesters including in the Crime and Policing Bill that is currently being debated in Parliament.

D.R.C. – Greenpeace Africa volunteers organise a symbolic performance in the port city of Matadi, to denounce the destructive impact of plastic. The action aimed to call on policymakers and multinational companies to take responsibility for environmental protection. A symbolic trophy was presented to Coca-Cola, named for the sixth consecutive year as the world’s top plastic polluter.

Malaysia – A day before the arrival of United States President Donald Trump for the ASEAN Summit chaired by the Malaysian government, activists from Greenpeace Malaysia stage a non-violent banner action across five bridges in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, calling for Malaysia and ASEAN leaders to uphold integrity and justice in the face of the hypocrisy of climate denial and genocide, represented by Trump.

Pictured are Greenpeace campaigners and volunteers dropping the #TimeToResist banner at a pedestrian bridge along Jalan Pudu.

Colombia – Days before the Climate Summit (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, Greenpeace Colombia conducted an artistic and citizen intervention at the Gabriel García Márquez Journalists Park in Bogotá. The giant letters forming the word “AMAZONÍA” were turned into a work of art by artist Green Amarilla, symbolising the main threats to the world’s largest tropical rainforest: extensive cattle ranching, mining, and the expansion of hydrocarbons.

U.K. – As Shell announces record profits an electric advan outside Shell HQ is showing images of the damage caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica. The images raise awareness that the biggest polluters continue to profit while ordinary people bear the brunt of the costs of these climate disasters. It’s time to hold Shell accountable and demand they pay for the damage they’ve caused.

Malaysia – Rendy Zuliansyah (left) and Pralensa (right), haze victims from South Sumatra, pose with a banner reading “Politician Talks, Leaders Act!” in front of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Greenpeace has been a pioneer of photo activism for more than 50 years, and remains committed to bearing witness and exposing environmental injustice through the images we capture.

To see more Greenpeace photos and videos, visit our Media Library.

Nairobi – A week before shareholders at the Tesla Annual General Meeting are expected to sign off a pay package that could make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, Greenpeace is urging governments to lay the ground for a global tax reform at the upcoming UN Tax Convention negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Greenpeace criticises that billionaires and their polluting industries are hoarding extreme wealth, while there is a lack of funding for climate action. From the UN Tax Convention negotiations in Nairobi to the COP30 in Belém, Greenpeace is sending a clear message to governments: to meet their climate and nature commitments, they must start by taxing extreme wealth – a step that could help tackle growing inequality and be used to benefit people and the planet. 

Fred Njehu, Greenpeace Africa Fair Share Political Lead, said: “Instead of enabling one person to become a trillionaire, governments should unlock that same scale of wealth – the $1.7 trillion, which a billionaire and multi-millionaire tax could generate per year globally – to protect lives and secure our common future. A fair billionaire tax could fund climate flood prevention, clean air, green cities, affordable housing, and nature protection. 

“There is no lack of money, only a failure to make the richest of the rich pay their fair share. Governments must act on behalf of the majority of people and listen to what many economic experts suggest: tax the super-rich and their polluting corporations to finance a fair green transition.” 

To illustrate the issue, Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace International today launched an interactive, video game-like tool called The Billionaire Taxometer which allows players to get an idea of how much taxes they pay compared to the amount reportedly paid by the richest man on Earth, showing how unfair the current tax system is in most countries.[2] 

The aim is also to call attention to the absurdity of companies that reportedly have paid only US$48 million in the last 3 years in corporate income taxes while proposing to give multi billion pay packages to their CEO.[3] The environmental organisations argue that tax rules benefit billionaires at the expense of the environment and people, and as the climate and nature crisis is disproportionately driven by the consumption and investments of the richest individuals it should be common sense to make the super-rich pay according to their ‘ecological moral dues.’[4]

ENDS

Notes: 

[1] Richest 1% bag nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world put together over the past two years (Oxfam)

[2] The Billionaire Taxometer tool is free to use, available online and uses the results of ProPublica’s investigation and Americans for Tax Fairness, which measured Elon Musk’s tax rate against the increase in his wealth for 2018.

[3] Elon Musk’s company Tesla avoided almost all federal income tax on nearly $11 billion of U.S. income over three years

[4] High-income groups disproportionately contribute to climate extremes worldwide

Contacts:

Fred Njehu, Policy Lead Fair Share at Greenpeace Africa, +254 7235 83251, fred.njehu@greenpeace.org 

Christine Gebeneter, EU Communication Lead, People over Greed project, part of the Global Fair Share campaign, Greenpeace Central-and Eastern Europe, +43 664 840 3807, christine.gebeneter@greenpeace.org 

Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Super Typhoon Odette (Super Typhoon Rai) swept through the Philippines in December 2021, wreaking havoc on multiple islands with its powerful winds and torrential rains that caused landslides and storm surges. Over 10 million people were affected  — some lost their homes and livelihoods, while others lost their lives. Four years later, the survivors are suing British oil giant Shell.

As one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, the Philippines experiences the worst typhoons every year. Stories of loved ones lost to floods, hard-earned family homes getting destroyed, or late night emergency evacuations are not isolated, but rather a typical experience for most Filipinos. And as the fossil fuel-induced climate crisis worsens and extreme weather events like super typhoons become more frequent, living in the Philippines has become an even greater struggle for survival. In 2022, the Philippines Human Rights Commission released a report detailing the civil liability against carbon majors, such as Shell, in relation to climate harms suffered in the Philippines.

“Suing a big corporation like Shell for their role in worsening Typhoon Rai might be a tall task, but I have to think about my children’s future,” said Trixy Elle, one of the claimants in the case, speaking in Filipino. 

Trixy, along with 66 other claimants will be filing a case in the United Kingdom against Shell for its role in driving the climate crisis. The claimants, residents from the Visayas region of the Philippines, are holding the company accountable for its historic carbon emissions which have worsened extreme weather events like Odette and deepened the suffering of Filipino communities. They are seeking financial compensation for damages suffered, as well as injunctive relief that constrains Shell’s future actions. This is the first civil claim to directly link the acts of oil and gas companies to death and personal injury from climate impacts that have occurred in the Global South.

The case draws on new climate attribution research which found that human-caused climate change more than doubled the likelihood of an extreme weather event. Super Typhoon Odette killed 405 people across Southeast Asia, injured over 1,400, and cost the Philippines US$800 million in damage.

Shell, which is responsible for 41 billion tons of CO2e since 1892 or more than 2% of global fossil fuel emissions, knew for decades that its operations would fuel extreme weather, yet chose its profit over people. Shell raked in record profits of US$40 billion the year after Odette, and the company’s latest full-year profit was recorded at US$16.5 billion.

“It’s so unfair that we have to suffer the effects of climate change even if our contribution to global pollution is so miniscule compared to Shell. Why is it that we have to shoulder the burden?” Trixy continues.

This community-led legal action comes on the heels of the International Court of Justice on climate change’s advisory opinion on climate change (ICJAO), confirming that states must regulate businesses for climate harms caused by their emissions, regardless of where the harm occurs.

The Odette survivors’ case is both a call for climate justice and systemic accountability: to make polluters pay, end corruption that leaves communities defenseless, and reclaim the Filipino people’s right to a safe and liveable future.  

To find out more about the case, visit https://www.odettecase.org

Deep within the forest of Sira Village, West Papua, nearly 100 young Indigenous Leaders gathered this September for the Forest Defenders Camp. They came from across the region as well as the Brazilian Amazon, the Congo Basin, and Borneo. Organized by the Knasaimos Indigenous Youth Community, Bentara Papua, and Greenpeace Indonesia, the four-day camp was a seminal moment for the growing solidarity among Indigenous youth from the world’s largest tropical forests.  

At the opening ceremony, Nabot Sreklefat of the Knasaimos Indigenous Youth Community found the presence of representatives from across major rainforest regions deeply inspiring.

Shamefully, the voices of young people, especially Indigenous  Peoples, are routinely marginalised in decision-making. My hope is that from this camp of forest defenders, our voices will reach the national and international stage.

“Without a doubt, it is a truly incredible experience. To travel halfway across the world, directly from the Brazilian Amazon, and be here, witnessing all of this up close, is a great privilege for me. Regardless of where we are, the struggle of Indigenous Peoples continues. We continue to defend the forest, defend our home, and seek recognition that we are the defenders of the forest.

It takes a village

Months in the making, the camp was held in Sira Village, on the Indigenous Forest Territory of the Tehit Knasaimos people. The Tehit Knasaimos community has been a beacon of resistance and survival for decades—successfully chasing illegal loggers from their lands, rejecting proposed industrial oil palm plantations and more. However, like much of West Papua and tropical forests around the world, this community faces a relentless push from government settlement schemes, loggers and agribusiness. 

It’s no wonder that members of Sira Village were invested in not only hosting but celebrating the momentous gathering of young activists. On the morning of its start, Sira Village welcomed the participants with traditional song and dance performances, as well as refreshments. It was a joyful and auspicious event, full of hope and a sense of kinship among new friends. 

What’s more, the camp was built by the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of the village using traditional materials from the forest like bamboo, thatch, bark, wood and rattan. During the course of the gathering, the village prepared delicious meals made with native foods like sago, yams, plantains and more for the youth participants. In these ways, the camp epitomised the values of care, sustainability and living in harmony with the forest. 

Building a bridge

For Indigenous Peoples from the world’s major tropical forest regions, the Forest Defender Camp was the latest in a series of important gatherings this year. In May, Indigenous Leaders held the First Global Congress of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (The Congress) from the Forest Basins in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. 

The gathering delivered the Brazzaville Declaration, a unified call for forest-protection across Africa, Asia, Mesoamerica, and South America. Together, these four regions are home to over two-thirds of remaining tropical forests, and are vital carbon sinks that we must preserve to prevent runaway climate change.  

Now it was the young people’s turn. For four days, the activists shared and learned from one another—using interpreters to translate their thoughts and feelings across French, Indonesian, English, Portuguese and Malay, as well as many Indigenous languages. Surrounded by the echoing calls of insects and birds of paradise, the young leaders spoke passionately about their community’s struggles and hardships, and expressed dreams of a future where their forest homes and civilisations could thrive. There were also sessions on storytelling for movements, grassroots organising, traditional medicine and more. 

Lerys Nyangono, president of the Association of Young Indigenous People of Cameroon spoke of the bond among the group: 

As Indigenous People, we all share the same realities, same struggles and same challenges across our communities. That is why we must work together in solidarity to obtain what we want. It is time for us to act as one and make our voices heard for the preservation of our forest, our home.

– Lerys Nyangono

The Sira Declaration

Following days of intense dialogue, the youth representatives came to a shared message of demands. Named after the village which hosted its creation, the Sira Declaration calls for the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, bringing particular focus on the inclusion of the youth and women. Calling for the protection of tropical forests, the declaration also points out the many grave injustices and rising threats faced by Indigenous and environmental defenders, and seeks security and direct financing to impacted communities so they can effectively protect themselves and their homes.  

The declaration also champions a hopeful vision. While the world seeks answers to the climate and biodiversity crises through shiny techno-fixes, these Indigenous youth assert that the solutions already exist—among their peoples. Solving humanity’s crisis with the Earth requires us to change how we live, what we value, and who we listen to. In all these senses, Indigenous communities have a great deal to teach the rest of us.  

Celine Lim, Managing Director of SAVE Rivers, and member of the Kayan community from Long Pilah, Sarawak, shared her reflections after the gathering: 

The way Indigenous Peoples and the rest of the world look at forests is very different. The world sees forests as commodities—but for us, they are life itself. Indigenous Peoples have been the custodians of forests and natural landscapes for generations—doing a much better job than any outside actor. We will not budge. The duty to care for the planet is in our blood, and we will continue to protect our forests, our territories and our land. When we defend our territories, we defend the planet.

– Celine Lim

It’s time for us all to heed the wisdom of Indigenous communities that have not lost their connection with the Earth. Hearing, respecting and standing with Indigenous communities today is central to healing both the world and humanity. Our collective future depends on this change.   

Tsering Lama is a Story Manager with Greenpeace International

Strasbourg, France – Today, The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ruled that Norway must assess the global climate impacts of oil and gas before opening new oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf in order to comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. The ruling establishes new, binding legal obligations that will reshape how governments approach fossil fuel development. 

The Court did not find a human rights violation at this moment as it is counting on Norway conducting a full assessment of climate impacts when opening new oil and gas projects. The Court affirmed that a full environmental impact assessment, taking into account emissions from combustion, wherever they take place, must be conducted before any new oil fields are opened – establishing a crucial safeguard against projects that would worsen the climate crisis. Failing to do so is a violation of human rights. Today no new oil and gas projects on the Norwegian continental shelf fulfill this requirement.

Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway, said: “This is a major step forward. It’s a relief to see the Court recognise what science has told us for years — that new oil and gas fields threaten our most basic human rights. Requiring governments to assess the global climate consequences of oil and gas combustion before approving new fossil projects is common sense, and long overdue.”

Sigrid Hoddevik Losnegård, head of Young Friends of the Earth Norway: “This decision is a quantum leap for climate accountability. The government can no longer continue its oil and gas policy as if climate change doesn’t exist. This judgment will have ripple effects far beyond Norway.”

The ruling comes nearly a decade after Greenpeace Nordic and Young Friends of the Earth Norway (Natur og Ungdom) first brought the People vs. Arctic Oil case, arguing that Norway’s Arctic oil policy violates fundamental human rights. 

The judgment reinforces the growing international legal consensus that governments must consider the climate impacts of new fossil fuel projects in line with human rights obligations. It builds on recent decisions from the International Court of Justice and the UK Supreme Court, both of which highlighted the incompatibility of new oil and gas development with global climate goals.

The ECtHR’s decision builds on the 2024 KlimaSeniorinnen judgement and sends a strong message to governments worldwide that the era of unchecked fossil fuel expansion is over. By recognising that climate harm is a matter of human rights, the Court adds another crucial building block to the growing body of international climate jurisprudence.

“The judgement sets limits to how badly the Norwegian government can damage our future. It’s a victory for reason, for science, and for everyone fighting for a livable planet,” said Frode Pleym.

ENDS

Contacts:

Frode Pleym, Head of Greenpeace in Norway: +47 973 07 378, frode.pleym@greenpeace.org

Sigrid Hoddevik Losnegård, Head of Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway): +47 405 29 471, sigridl@nu.no

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0) 20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Greenpeace is calling for this year’s UN climate summit COP30 to deliver an emphatic response to the glaring ambition gap exposed in the UNFCCC’s synthesis report aggregating 2035 climate action plans.

The UNFCCC’s Synthesis report found that the submitted NDCs (which only represent 33% of global emissions), while progressing from previous NDCs, would lead to emission reductions of 11%-24% by 2035 compared to 2019.[1]

This is far short from the 60% reduction (for the same period) that countries committed to in the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake, agreed at COP28 in Dubai in 2023. 

The UNFCCC also said its report was based on the 64 new NDCs submitted before 30 September 2025, covering about 30% of total global emissions in 2019. It was not possible to draw wide-ranging global-level conclusions from such a limited data set, the UNFCCC added.

Jasper Inventor, Deputy International Programme Director Greenpeace International said: “This report is a fire alarm for the planet, but governments keep hitting the snooze button and falling back to sleep. COP30 must be the moment the world wakes up and acts before the house burns down.” 

“A decisive breakthrough at COP30 must now kick-off a new phase of accelerated and transformative climate action. The UN Secretary-General has already warned that a temporary overshoot of the 1.5°C limit is looming, but the hard reality is that national climate action plans are still lacking in ambition. Many of these plans are either late or, if submitted, consistently falling short on what is needed.”[2]

“A key driver of this repeated failure is the persistent lack of ambition from most developed countries. At the same time, some of the world’s major developing country emitters have set targets that fall well short of what is needed, further widening the global ambition gap.”

“At COP30, a global response plan is needed. Rising emissions, increasingly extreme weather and looming tipping points are our current reality. At COP30, the People’s COP, it’s time for safety and people to be placed first and foremost.” 

ENDS

Notes:

[1] UNFCCC’s NDCs Synthesis report

[2] Read the comments from UN Secretary-General Guterres

Contacts:

Aaron Gray-Block, Climate Politics Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, aaron.gray-block@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Alongside a few of my Greenpeace colleagues, I will be in Brazil at COP30 this year, where world leaders are tasked with ramping up climate ambition so that our planet can stay liveable. We will be there to make sure they act in the people and planet’s best interest, with ambition, courage, and climate justice.  

But it’s not just climate experts there. Lobbyists will be there too. But not just your regular ‘Big Oil’ lobbyist. Because COP30 will be in the Brazilian Amazon, we expect an even bigger presence from the livestock sector – including the world’s largest meat company, JBS, notorious for its links to deforestation and livestock expansion into pristine ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest.

Agriculture is one of the biggest drivers of climate change, and the livestock industry in particular is the largest single source of human-made methane emissions globally. But “Big Ag” companies will be present at the COP to downplay their harmful impact – and to fool policymakers and COP attendees into believing that they are the solution to climate breakdown.

Methane: The superheating gas driving global heating

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas – 80 times stronger than CO₂ over a 20-year period.

Methane is responsible for nearly a third of global warming to date. And it’s rising fast. According to the Global Methane Budget, livestock-related methane emissions increased by 12.5% between the 2000s and 2020 due to more production (and consumption) of farmed animals.

Yet, recent studies find that fewer than 4% of climate news stories even mention animal agriculture as a source of emissions.

That’s no accident. The livestock industry spends millions on marketing, PR, and political lobbying to downplay its climate impact and delay real action.

COP30: Big Ag’s stage for greenwashing

With the help of Desmog’s recent greenwashing guide, here’s what we will be on the look out for from Big Ag at COP30 :

1. “Regenerative” and “Tropical” Agriculture – The Magic Dirt Illusion

The livestock industry wants you to believe that soils and trees where cattle are raised can not only erase emissions generated by the cattle, but even benefit the climate. Some go as far as arguing that livestock raised in the tropics can help drawing enormous amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere. 

In reality, methane from a very large number of livestock raised on an industrial scale far outweighs any carbon absorbed by pastures and soils. “Regenerative,” “tropical,” “carbon-positive” – it’s all the same old trick: a handful of soil to distract from a cloud of methane.

2. “No Additional Warming” Methane goal/target – The Great Escape

Behold the industry’s latest disappearing act! Big livestock lobbyists vanish their high levels of pollution. How? By simply shifting the baseline and claiming “no additional warming”.

But here’s the thing. Methane levels in the atmosphere are more than two and a half times higher than they were before industrialisation. Far from being benign, methane emissions continue to superheat the planet. 

The atmosphere doesn’t care about accounting illusions. It needs real action to cut methane emissions now.

3. “We Feed the World” – The Endless Appetite of Big Ag

Roll up, roll up! Big livestock’s favourite story: “We feed the world.”

In truth, hunger is on the rise in many parts of the world. Most industrially-produced meat and dairy doesn’t feed the hungry – it feeds global overconsumption in wealthy countries, filling snack aisles and fast-food chains with processed meat and dairy. 

The show isn’t about feeding the world. It’s about feeding profits.

4. “Progress and Development” – Yesterday’s World, Tomorrow

Behind the curtain, agribusiness giants pitch livestock expansion as “pro-jobs” and “pro-development.”

But the Global South already grows most of the world’s food – while profits flow North to powerful corporations and governments.

Big Ag’s version of “development” keeps local communities dependent and dispossessed.

5. “Fossil Fuels Are the Real Problem” – The Emissions Hall of Mirrors

And finally, Big Ag’s most audacious trick: deflection.

They point to fossil fuels, claiming, “We’re not the problem!” while continuing to emit huge amounts of methane every year.

Yes, fossil fuels are a major cause of global heating – but so is the mass production and export of industrial meat and dairy. Both must be addressed if COP30 is to deliver meaningful climate progress.

We will make sure to tell our world leaders to look past the greenwash and transform our food systems (for real). Join people all over the world calling for Just Transitions to Agroecology and add your name to show your support.

Jehki Harkonen is a Global Campaigner with Greenpeace Nordic

For many people, COPs sound like endless speeches and photo ops, and sometimes they are. But they are also one of the key tools we have to tackle the climate crisis together. With COP30 set to take place in Belém, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, here are five things you should know.

1. What is a COP?

COP stands for Conference of the Parties, the annual UN climate summit held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international treaty established in 1992.

Currently, 198 countries participate in the UNFCCC, making it one of the largest multilateral bodies in the United Nations system. These countries meet at COPs to negotiate how to limit global heating, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and support communities already affected by climate impacts.

Inside a COP you will find world leaders, government negotiators, scientists, Indigenous leaders, youth activists, journalists and, yes, lobbyists. It is complicated, messy and often frustrating. But there is no other global forum where both the smallest island nations and the world’s largest economies sit down at the same table to hammer out agreements.

Think of it as a giant global group project. Not everyone does their homework, a few actively try to sabotage the assignment, but we still need everyone involved to pass the course.

2. Why COPs matter for global solutions

Climate chaos does not stop at borders. Droughts in one region can drive up global food prices. Melting glaciers in the Himalayas threaten communities thousands of kilometres downstream. Heatwaves in South Asia kill people who did little to cause the crisis.

This is why COPs exist. They are the only place where governments can, at least in theory, cooperate to solve a problem that no single country can fix alone. Multilateralism might sound like a wonky word, but it simply means countries working together. And when it comes to climate, global problems need global solutions.

Without COPs, the alternative is each country fending for itself in a planetary emergency. We have already seen how dangerous that can be.

3. What COPs have achieved so far

It is easy to feel cynical, but history shows COPs can deliver when pressure builds.

• COP21 (Paris, 2015): The Paris Agreement: governments agreed to keep global warming “well below 2°C” and aim for 1.5°C, a planetary boundary that must not be crossed. Imperfect, but a turning point.
  
• COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh, 2022): The long-fought Loss and Damage fund was created to help vulnerable countries hit hardest by climate disasters. Campaigners had pushed for this for decades.
  
• COP28 (Dubai, 2023): For the first time, a COP decision named fossil fuels as the root of the climate crisis. We called it historic but warned: “Leaders must now commit to a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase-out.”
  
• COP29 (Baku, 2024): Climate finance dominated. Governments pledged new funding, but we criticised the outcome as woefully inadequate given the scale of climate impacts. Delay means disaster.

None of these victories happened by chance. They came from people power: Indigenous leadership, climate-vulnerable countries pushing back, campaigners refusing to give up, and millions of supporters demanding action.

4. COPs, lobbyists and people power

We’ll be real: COPs are often criticised as talk shops where corporate lobbyists outnumber climate-vulnerable countries. At COP28, fossil fuel lobbyists actually outnumbered almost every national delegation. Meat and dairy corporations also showed up to defend factory farming.

This is why civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth and activists need to be inside the halls. They are there to hold governments accountable, to challenge greenwash, and to amplify voices that too often go unheard.

Greenpeace goes to COPs not because we believe politicians will suddenly save the day, but because without relentless pressure, progress is even less likely. It’s people power that makes change possible.

5. One COP fact that shows why they matter

Here is one striking number. According to the UN, current national climate pledges still put us on track for up to 3.1°C of global warming this century. But to achieve the 1.5°C limit, countries need to fully implement and strengthen their pledges, ensuring they cut emissions by about 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels and go even further by 2035.

That is the difference between widespread collapse of ecosystems and a fighting chance to stabilise the climate. It shows why COPs are still needed. The decisions made there can literally add or remove gigatonnes of carbon pollution from the atmosphere. The difference is life-changing for millions of people, for forests, for biodiversity, and for every future generation.

Why COP30 is critical

This year’s COP, the 30th meeting, will take place in Belém, Brazil, at the gateway to the Amazon rainforest. That alone makes it significant. The Amazon is home to extraordinary biodiversity and millions of people, including many Indigenous communities. It is also one of the planet’s most important carbon sinks, absorbing billions of tonnes of CO₂ every year. Scientists warn the Amazon is nearing a tipping point, where it could start releasing more carbon than it stores.

COP30 will also take place 10 years since the Paris Agreement was reached, representing a key assessment moment. Governments are expected to bring stronger climate pledges aligned with the 1.5°C limit, the dangerous threshold scientists warn must not be reached. In plain language: this is the year when leaders must step up to the challenge Paris laid down.

The stakes could not be higher. COP30 is the moment for governments to show courage rather than failure. It’s time to move from negotiation to implementation.

And while mistrust is understandable, hope is vital. Change does not come from leaders alone, it comes from people acting everywhere: marching in the streets, voting, suing polluters, protecting forests, sharing their stories, pushing for justice.

Mining Moana, fast fashion, and suing Shell, it’s a been a busy week for Greenpeace around the world. Here are a few highlights.

Germany – Greenpeace activists demonstrate for an anti-fast fashion law with a five-metre-high clothing statue made of clothing waste in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. On a banner, the activists warn: “Fast fashion: bought cheaply, paid dearly”. The installation, based on a design by artist Emanuele Jane Morelli, consists of textiles collected by Greenpeace from the mountains of garbage at the Kantamanto market in Accra, Ghana. It is one of the largest second-hand markets in the world, where old clothes, including those from Germany, lead to ever-increasing environmental pollution.

Philippines – Survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) sent a message using fishing boats, kayaks, and a giant banner: “SHELL, WE’RE SUING YOU FOR ODETTE.” They are taking Shell to court for the great harm they suffered from the storm that claimed 405 lives and injured over 1,400 others back in 2021.

Climate scientists say the extreme weather brought by Odette was made more likely by climate change, driven by fossil fuel combustion. This landmark case is the first of its kind and scale against an oil and gas company for deaths, injuries, and property damage that have already occurred.

The case, which will be filed in London where Shell’s global headquarters is located, deals with the company’s historic carbon emissions, deception, and disinformation about climate change, which it has known about since 1965.

Cook Islands – Louisa Castledine, Cook Island Activist and spokesperson for the Ocean Ancestors collective (left) with Juressa Lee, seabed campaigner at Greenpeace Aotearoa (right), hold a banner reading ‘Don’t Mine The Moana’ in front of the Nautilus at Rarotonga port in the Cook Islands.

The Nautilus has returned from a 21-day deep sea exploration expedition visiting sites in the mineral exploration areas licensed by the Cook Islands authorities, who are consistently supporting the development of deep sea mining.

The research being conducted on the Nautilus is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration Cooperation Institute. and comes just six months after President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order tasking NOAA to fast track the licensing process for deep sea mining.

Czech Republic – Demonstration at Prague’s Hradčanské Square in support of the independence of the Ministry of the Environment and against the appointment of a candidate from a party that denies climate science.

USA – More than 2,500 separate “No Kings’ marches and rallies took place across the country October 18, 2025 to call attention to the US President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to expand executive power. This image is from a protest in Houston, Texas.

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In 2016, six youth activists, Young Friends of the Earth Norway and Greenpeace Nordic took the Norwegian government to court to stop new Arctic oil drilling. The central argument in what became known as the People vs. Arctic Oil case was simple but powerful: approving more fossil fuels in the middle of a climate crisis violates the Norwegian Constitution, international law, and people’s basic rights.

That case became the first of its kind in Norway. After years of hearings and appeals, it wound its way through every level of the national courts. While judges acknowledged that oil drilling has serious consequences for the climate, Norway’s Supreme Court ultimately refused to strike down the licences. Domestic legal options were exhausted.

But the fight didn’t stop there.

The case landed in the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) — the institution responsible for safeguarding the rights of 700 million people across 46 countries. For the first time, the Court is being asked to decide whether a government’s decision to expand its oil and gas production violates human rights: the rights to life, to health, and to a safe environment. This decision will be handed down on 28 October. 

This isn’t just about Norway. The Court has labelled it a “potential impact case”, signalling that the outcome could set a powerful precedent far beyond Scandinavia. If the judges find in favour of the activists and Greenpeace Nordic, it could reshape energy policy across Europe by establishing that governments cannot approve new fossil fuel projects without properly accounting for their climate impact.

The new chapter: Borgarting Court of Appeal

Along with Nature and Youth Norway, Greenpeace Nordic have continued to challenge the government’s decision to approve new oil and gas fields. As a result of a partial win in the Supreme Court in People vs. Arctic oil, a new climate case currently sits before the Borgarting Court of Appeal. The Court is due to decide whether Norway’s Ministry of Energy acted lawfully when granting consent for three major North Sea projects without assessing the climate impact of the projects, as required by the Supreme Court decision. In the first instance, the Oslo District Court found that the approvals were illegal. 

What makes this stage so significant is that the Court of Appeal sought clarity from the EFTA Court — the body that interprets European Economic Area law, including the rules Norway has signed up to. The question was crucial: when assessing the environmental impact of new oil projects, do governments also have to assess the impacts of the greenhouse gas emissions released when that oil and gas is eventually burned?

Two landmark advisory opinions

On 21 May 2025, the EFTA Court delivered its answer. The judges were clear: emissions from the combustion of petroleum and gas extracted as part of a project and sold to third parties are “effects” of that project under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.

This ruling knocks out the government’s central defence. Norway had argued that only the direct impacts of extraction and production needed to be assessed, not the far greater emissions released when the fuel is burned. The Court rejected that position.

Just as importantly, the EFTA Court said that national courts must, as far as possible, eliminate the unlawful consequences of failing to conduct a proper assessment. In other words, if projects were approved without fully accounting for downstream emissions, that failure cannot simply be waved away.

Another positive development came just two months later. In July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the world’s highest court, issued its first-ever Advisory Opinion on climate change. The ICJ was unequivocal: States have binding legal obligations to prevent activities within their borders–– including through the granting of fossil fuel exploration licences and fossil fuel production– from causing climate damage, both domestically and abroad. It also confirmed that failing to act in line with climate science can breach human rights law.

This opinion matters hugely for the People vs. Arctic Oil case. Norway is one of the world’s largest exporters of oil and gas. By approving new fields, it knowingly adds to the global emissions that drive climate harm — not only within Norway, but across the world. The ICJ has now confirmed that such conduct is not just irresponsible, it can also be unlawful.

The bigger picture

From the moment the People vs Arctic Oil case was launched in 2016 through to the setback at the Supreme Court in 2020, campaigners have kept pressing the courts to recognise the obvious: expanding fossil fuels in a climate emergency undermines basic rights and breaches legal duties.

The EFTA Court has now validated what campaigners have argued all along. Climate impacts don’t stop at the drilling site. Every tonne of carbon released from burning oil and gas fuels the crisis. Pretending otherwise is unlawful.

This case also resonates with a wider wave of climate litigation. In recent years, courts in Europe and beyond have ruled that governments and companies must consider downstream emissions and protect human rights when approving projects. 

What’s at stake

The Borgarting Court of Appeal will now decide the case in light of the EFTA Court’s judgment. For Norway, the stakes could not be higher. If the Court strikes down the approvals, it would send a powerful message across Europe — that governments must reckon honestly with the full climate cost of fossil fuel expansion.

Also, before the ECtHR, the answer should be obvious. Climate change is already threatening lives, livelihoods, and homes. By putting human rights at the centre of climate decisions, the ECtHR has the chance to raise the bar — making it clear that protecting people comes before protecting fossil fuel profits. And the advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ)  adds even greater weight to that principle: governments that expand fossil fuels risk being held liable under international law for the damage they cause.

It would establish that governments have a duty to fully assess the climate harm their decisions cause, even when emissions occur beyond their borders. That principle, once enforced, would raise the bar for environmental assessments everywhere — making it harder for governments to greenlight new fossil fuel projects while ignoring their real impact.

The road ahead

What started as a small group of young people and activists taking their government to court has now helped shape European law.

The next steps lie with the ECtHR and the Borgarting Court of Appeal and both courts should be guided by strong domestic and international legal precedent.  We’re pushing for judgments that put people and the planet ahead of fossil fuel profits.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain. The case against Norwegian oil and gas has already raised the standard of what the law demands from States in the climate crisis. And it shows that persistence pays off — when governments fail to act responsibly, people have the power to take them to court, and win.

Klimentina Radkova is Campaigner at Greenpeace Nordic.