CEET at COP30: Engineering the Energy Transition
Setting the Scene: Energy Goals, Global Stocktake, and NDCs
From November 10-21, 2025, Belém, Brazil, will host the 30th UN Conference of the Parties (COP30), where the focus will be on shifting from ambition to implementation. Following the first Global Stocktake’s call for transformative energy shifts, negotiators will focus on implementing three interconnected energy goals:
- Tripling renewable energy capacity,
- Doubling energy efficiency improvement rates by 2030, and
- Transitioning away from unabated fossil fuels in a just, orderly, and equitable manner.
To achieve these ambitions, every dimension of the energy system must transform, and for emerging markets and developing economies, access to affordable financing for the energy transition remains a priority. Mobilizing capital to modernize grids, deploy storage, and expand renewable energy deployment will be critical to bridging the implementation gap. With countries submitting their next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), COP30 is a key moment to align national climate strategies with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring global progress toward a low-carbon, resilient future.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently stated, “the fossil fuel age is flailing and failing,” marking what he called “the dawn of a new energy era.” COP30 must now translate that vision into a technically sound and equitable reality.
Members of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET) will be at COP30, contributing to these conversations and emphasizing the importance of leveraging technical and engineering expertise in this work. Learn more about our CEET members who will be on the ground in Belém.
CEET Agenda at COP30
On the sidelines of COP30, the CEET will launch two issue briefs developed with key partner institutions:
- Unlocking Green Hydrogen for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy – Developed in partnership with SEforALL’s 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact.
- Brazil's Power Infrastructure Resilience in the Face of Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation – Developed in partnership with Enel Foundation.
Check back during COP30 to download these publications and explore the CEET Issue Brief collection.
The CEET will also host and participate in multiple side events during COP30:
2 November, 2025
Green Energy Zones and Corridors
Hosts: Climate Parliament and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with the support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
At the Rio Parliamentary Green Investment Summit, this session will explore the core elements of design, development, and implementation of Green Energy Zones at all scales. Panelists will discuss progress since the announcement of the COP29 Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge, and the accompanying ‘Legislators’ Pledge’ signed by legislators from 32 nations during the Istanbul Dialogue.
Speakers and participants include:
- Rosana Santos, CEET Member and Executive Director at E+ Energy Transition Institute
- Renato Ciminelli, CEET Member and President at Instituto Quadrilatero
- Luisa Valentim Barros, CEET Member and Brazil Country Lead at The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
14 November, 2025: Energy Day
Advancing Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Article 6 Partnerships: Inclusive, Equitable, and Scalable Climate Solutions
- Time: 9:00 – 10:00 BRT (GMT-3)
- Venue: UNFCCC GIH - SPE 5, located in the Special Events Room, Blue Zone Area
- Hosts: CEET, UNIDO, UNFCCC
This session will explore how carbon dioxide removal (CDR) can complement emission reduction efforts through equitable Article 6 partnerships under the Paris Agreement. Panelists will examine governance, financing, and cooperation models to scale nature-based, hybrid, and engineered CDR solutions while ensuring ecosystem protection, Indigenous rights, and alignment with national and voluntary climate frameworks.
Speakers include:
- Ciyong Zou, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
- Emi Gui, CEET Member and Associate Professor at Monash University Malaysia
- Mercedes Maroto-Valer, CEET Member, Director at UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), and Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) at Heriot-Watt University
- Nitin Arora, Lead, Stakeholders Interaction Unit at UNFCCC
- Rosana Santos, CEET Member and Executive Director at E+ Energy Transition Institute
- Semida Silveira, CEET Member and Professor at Cornell University
Official Launch: Green Hydrogen Task Force Fact Sheet — Unlocking Green Hydrogen for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy
- Time: 10:30 – 11:30 BRT (GMT-3)
- Venue: UNFCCC GIH - SPE 4, located in the Special Events Room, Blue Zone Area
- Hosts: CEET, SEforALL, UNFCCC
This event will launch the work of the Green Hydrogen Task Force, co-led by CEET and SEforALL under the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact. The session will present key findings and pathways to accelerate green hydrogen deployment in the Global South through targeted policies, investment frameworks, and technology collaboration.
Speakers to be announced.
Accelerating the Scale-Up of Green Hydrogen in Developing Markets
- Time: 14:45 – 15:45 BRT (GMT-3)
- Venue: SDG Pavilion hosted by UN DESA, Blue Zone Area
- Hosts: CEET, SEforALL
Building on the findings of the Green Hydrogen Task Force introduced at the official launch, this session will focus on practical pathways to scale green hydrogen deployment in developing markets. Policymakers, investors, and industry experts will explore solutions to overcome cost, regulatory, and financing barriers, along with highlighting opportunities for regional leadership, especially across Africa and the broader Global South. This event will be held on-site at COP30 and livestreamed globally. Register here.
Speakers to be announced.
15 November, 2025: Energy Day
Strengthening Capacity Building for the Energy Transition
- Time: 10:30 – 11:30 BRT (GMT-3)
- Venue: UNFCCC Capacity-building Hub, Blue Zone Area
- Hosts: GEIDCO, UNFCCC, Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB), SDSN
Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires rapid, inclusive, and well-governed energy transitions. Yet countries and institutions face persistent capacity gaps in policy design and implementation, human resources and skills, project preparation and financing, and cross-border coordination. This session responds to those needs by convening international organizations and implementation partners to share practical experience, assess capacity-building gaps, and discuss collaborative mechanisms for future action.
Speakers include:
- Liz Nelson, CEET Program Manager at Sustainable Development Solutions Network
- Luisa Valentim Barros, CEET Member and Brazil Country Lead at The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
17 November, 2025
Building Climate-Resilient Power Infrastructure in Brazil: Integrating Technology, Biodiversity, and Policy for a Sustainable Grid
- Time: 15:00 – 16:00 BRT (GMT-3)
- Venue: SDG Pavilion, Blue Zone Area
- Hosts: CEET, Enel Foundation
Brazil’s power system faces rising risks from extreme weather, biodiversity pressures, and rapid distributed generation growth. This session will explore strategies to enhance grid resilience through digitalization, smart grids, and adaptive planning. Drawing on CEET’s issue brief on this topic, experts will discuss regulatory innovation and public-private collaboration to integrate technology, biodiversity, and policy for a sustainable, climate-ready grid.
Speakers include:
- Alessandro Sanches Pereira, CEET Member and Executive Director at Instituto 17
- Izael da Silva, CEET Member and Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research and Innovation at Strathmore University
- Luisa Valentim Barros, CEET Member and Brazil Country Lead at The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
Additional Resources
