COP30 Negotiator Malang Sambou Manneh Emphasizes Technology as Key to Countering Fossil Fuel Growth
As the world prepares for the upcoming COP30 climate conference, The Gambia’s lead negotiator on mitigation, Malang Sambou Manneh, stresses the importance of technology in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The conference, scheduled to take place from November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, aims to be people-centered and inclusive, with a focus on mitigation and climate financing.
Manneh highlights the need for a unified global South to take the lead in presenting best practices in renewables, showcasing alternatives that work to counter fossil fuel development. He notes that the Mitigation Work Programme, established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at COP26, is critical in scaling up efforts to mitigate climate change globally.
The COP30 conference differs from previous ones, with a focus on closing the ambition gap identified by the Global Stocktake, a periodic review that assesses the world’s collective progress in meeting its climate goals. The first stocktake, completed at COP28 in 2023, revealed that current efforts are insufficient, and the world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement.
Manneh emphasizes that the global community will not successfully counter fossil fuels by simply stating they are bad and harmful, but rather through technology and showcasing alternatives that work. He notes that the uptake of renewables has overtaken coal generation for the first time on record in the first half of 2025, with solar and wind outpacing the growth in demand.
The global South is expected to provide much-needed leadership at COP30, as Western leaders retreat to address pressing problems at home. Manneh sees opportunities for the developing world to take the lead, especially with scientific evidence mounting on the impacts of the climate crisis. The World Meteorological Organization projects a continuation of record-high global temperatures, increasing climate risks, and potentially marking the first five-year period of 2025-2029.
The recent deadline for new national climate action plans, which will guide the COP30 talks, has passed, with signatory governments to the Paris Agreement submitting more ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction and adaptation goals. Manneh emphasizes that ambition has never been a problem, but rather the lack of implementation, and that action plans cannot be implemented without financing.
The COP30 conference is expected to drive action for environmental and economic growth, with an emphasis on the critical role of tropical forests and nature-based solutions. The conference will focus on pushing for scalable solutions and commitments that can be firmly held accountable, rather than just setting new goals.