As the world gears up for COP30, set to take place in Belém, Brazil—often referred to as the ‘heart of the Amazon’—the question on everyone’s mind is whether the Conference of the Parties (COP) is still a worthwhile endeavor. Over the past few years, the effectiveness of these annual climate summits has been under intense scrutiny, especially as global temperatures continue to rise, pushing the world further away from the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target.