Given the agreement reached, COP30 is considered a disappointment. Do you agree?
Yes, on that level, I agree with the various analyses that have been made: the agreement lacks ambition. But the COP is more than just that. For us, the climate action players who work daily to limit global warming to 2°C, the COP is above all a space for ongoing dialogue among all stakeholders: NGOs, companies, international organizations, etc.
For two weeks, there are non-stop meetings. National pavilions host continuous events. At the French pavilion, we had the opportunity to lead a session on the Climate Contribution Framework and another on AI and decarbonization with ENGIE and Schneider Electric.
Without dialogue, nothing happens. The COP is that crossroads where the entire ecosystem talks to each other.
They said it was “the COP of corporate action.” Did you feel that?
Yes, many companies were present. What struck me was that most of them had a direct dependency relationship with nature.
Their presence illustrates something fundamental: climate action is tied to business resilience and health. It’s no longer optional. The companies that were there had direct economic interests and a real need to reconnect their activities with climate action.
What about the controversial presence of fossil fuel lobbies?
It’s a topic that sparks debate, but let’s look at the numbers: 80% of our energy comes from fossil fuels.
If you don’t include these energy players in the negotiation, you remove hundreds of billions in investment from the low-carbon transition. Of course, they defend their interests, but refusing to dialogue with them would mean refusing to solve the problem at scale. They’re part of the problem, so they’re part of the solution.
If you had to sum up COP30 in one word?
Harmonization. That’s the drive for harmonization I felt throughout this COP, among different stakeholders: NGOs, companies, international organizations, standards, etc. The COP isn’t perfect, but it’s essential.
Why was it important for Sweep to be present?
Because our data and climate expertise contributes to the global effort. It’s in places like the COP that action frameworks, contacts, and ideas can emerge that will have a monumental impact tomorrow.
We notably participated in a meeting on harmonizing carbon markets and carbon accounting. There’s a real desire to make life easier for companies in their transition, to connect tools with concrete commitments. That’s exactly what we do at Sweep.
