From Negotiation to Implementation: TERI’s Act4Earth Dialogue Calls for Trust, Equity, and Reform Ahead of COP30
New Delhi, October 17, 2025: Amid growing calls for stronger global cooperation to address the escalating climate crisis, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) hosted the WSDS–Act4Earth National Dialogue on “Multilateralism and Global Governance: Road to COP30 and Beyond.” The event brought together policymakers, international climate negotiators, and leading researchers to deliberate on how to restore trust in the multilateral process, operationalize equity, and ensure credible climate finance delivery ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
At TERI’s national dialogue, global experts and negotiators call for renewed trust, measurable equity, and institutional reform to strengthen multilateral climate action ahead of COP30.
In her welcome address, Dr Shailly Kedia, Director, TERI, emphasized that renewed cooperation and trust between nations will be critical to ensure climate action translates into equitable outcomes. Dr Kedia outlined the objective of “The climate regime must therefore evolve to address issues that transcend national jurisdiction. One proposal could be to repurpose the UN Trusteeship Council—an institution originally meant to guide territories toward self-governance—to now play a high-level coordinating role for global commons, aligned with the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world as one family”.
Dr Abhilash Kolekar, Research Associate, TERI, in his framing presentation, observed that the widening gap between the means of implementation required and the resources available has eroded trust in the global process. “The discussion on COP reforms must focus on key variables such as Scope, Membership, Decision-making, Functions, and Institutional form — all of which are critical to strengthening multilateralism for the global commons. The objective is to identify gaps and propose reforms that can make these systems more inclusive, transparent, and effective.”
The dialogue, chaired by Mr R R Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, featured leading international experts and negotiators who discussed operationalizing equity, reforming global governance, and enhancing trust in multilateral processes. Mr Rashmi noted, “One of the central challenges facing multilateralism today is the balance between inclusivity and accountability. While the UNFCCC process remains equitable and democratic, the question is how to make it more effective without compromising its inclusive character. We must explore ways to strengthen decision-making so that it leads to timely and implementable outcomes.”
Opening the roundtable, Mr Ovais Sarmad, Former Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, underscored that rebuilding trust and credibility in the multilateral system is essential for meaningful progress at COP30 and beyond. He stated, “The slow march of diplomacy in the climate process is being overtaken by the rapid acceleration of the planetary crisis — and this is not sustainable. We need decisive action. We must be bold and direct in questioning business as usual. Implementation is about showing what works — we must move from negotiations to action. An implementation forum could well be the need of the hour. In this geopolitical context, we need transparency and political will.”
Mr Niclas Svenningsen, Manager for Global Climate Action, UNFCCC, observed, “Each COP hosts over 7,000 meetings — one-third are negotiations, and the rest include side events, Presidency events, and climate action dialogues. The Paris Agreement was a success, but with the current NDCs, we are still heading toward 2.8°C of warming. We need political honesty and a stronger link between international law and action. The COP cannot be everything for everyone; it must remain a space that fosters collaboration beyond negotiations. The UNFCCC remains the central mechanism for global climate cooperation.”
Prof. Benito Müller, Managing Director, Oxford Climate Policy, Oxford, stressed the importance of embedding fairness and inclusivity into decision-making frameworks to make the COP process more effective. He noted, “Mega COPs pose a serious threat to multilateralism. In the absence of treaties, what do we achieve? We must move away from ‘talking shops’ and explore smaller, standalone negotiations. For instance, if Australia hosts a COP, small group sessions could take place in Fiji, accommodating around 5,000 participants, while larger discussions could happen in Adelaide. This approach would help smaller nations feel included. Belém has logistical challenges, so such hybrid formats could enhance implementation and outcomes.”
According to Dr Bob Reinalda, Fellow, Political Science, Radboud University, “Leadership matters. Multilateralism is under serious pressure from hegemonic antagonism and East–West confrontations. Sustainable development is a relatively young concept, mostly governed by international conventions. Leadership must be grounded in coherent teamwork guided by intergovernmental direction.”
Mr Huw Davies, Managing Director, Centre for Multilateral Negotiations, said, “We expect accountability from businesses and industries — the same must apply to governments. Many coalitions are working to establish enhanced reporting mechanisms and to evaluate whether previous commitments have been met. Every COP presidency brings new initiatives, but continuity and follow-through are often missing. We must focus on stable, streamlined reporting, ensure inclusion of underrepresented groups such as migrants and the working class, and remember that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Mr Indrajit Bose, Senior Researcher, Third World Network, remarked, “Multilateralism is under immense pressure. The fundamental problem remains the colonial mindset of the Global North at the negotiation table. Governance and efficiency are being discussed, but do developing countries have an equal say? The track record shows that commitments disliked by developed nations are often sidelined. Financial delivery must be honoured. Developed countries advocate adaptation globally but continue fossil fuel expansion domestically — their NDCs must be scrutinized. We must save multilateralism at all costs.”
Mr Ethan Spaner, International Policy Senior Advisor, The Climate Reality Project, added, “The COP is more than its formal sessions — it is a space for diplomacy and accountability. How a Presidency interacts with vested interests, such as fossil fuel lobbies, sets a precedent. Future COP Presidencies must ensure that no fossil fuel country representatives hold undue influence. The Presidency should exemplify strong climate credentials through ambitious NDCs and national action.”
Dr Dhanasree Jayaram, Assistant Professor, Department of Geopolitics & International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, pointed out, “Everything is being “climatized,” and while this can be positive in raising awareness, it also creates challenges. Often, policies adopted under one agreement shift problems elsewhere. Energy transition is a good example. Fragmentation, to some extent, is inevitable and even healthy as it allows diverse ideas to flourish. But we must also make sense of that fragmentation to create synergies rather than trade-offs.”
Mr Tim Bosch, Research Fellow, Center for Climate and Foreign Policy, German Council on Foreign Relations, emphasized, “Today’s geopolitical environment has become transactional, making it difficult to sustain climate commitments. We must not scale back ambition. Green growth is possible even in crisis. The COP process has shown resilience amid geopolitical disruptions. Voluntary commitments and just transition policies at the national level can address inequalities and close the ambition gap.”
Summarizing the discussions, Mr RR Rashmi emphasized that reforming multilateralism is imperative to restore the credibility of the COP process and to shift focus from negotiations to implementation.
Participants agreed that the road to COP30 must be paved with measurable equity, genuine cooperation, and mutual trust to bridge the North–South divide in global climate action. The insights generated will contribute to TERI’s ongoing study on reforms in multilateralism and inform policy dialogues leading up to COP30 and WSDS 2026.