President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb attended the COP30 UN Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, on 6–7 November 2025.
President Stubb gave Finland’s national statement at the COP30 World Leaders Summit on Thursday 6 November.
We are collectively accountable
In his speech, the President highlighted three critical elements. “Firstly, we must all lead by example – we are collectively accountable. Yes, the largest emitters must lead the way in reducing emissions. And they must do it now. But the rest of us need to act in an equally responsible manner.”
“Secondly, we must put science in the driver’s seat. We have the best scientists at our disposal, and they are unanimous that delaying climate action would have consequences that are devastating for all and irreversible for some.”
“Thirdly, we must be bold. We need three things: regulation, finance and innovation. All of them. You can’t regulate or finance yourself out of the climate crisis. Innovation is key.”
“Pessimists will never solve the climate crisis. It will be done by optimists and realists,” the President said in conclusion.
At the Climate Summit, President Stubb gave a speech at the thematic session on the energy transition, chaired by the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The President also attended a round table hosted by Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. The discussion focused on how to reduce industrial emissions. The other participants in the debate were Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO); Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA); and Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom.
Before the summit, President Stubb had a bilateral meeting with President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on 5 November. During their one-hour meeting, the presidents discussed not only the Climate Summit, but also multilateral cooperation and the need to reform the UN system, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and international trade.
During the summit, President Stubb also had bilateral meetings with Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf; President of Namibia Nandi-Ndaitwah; Director-General of the World Trade Organisation Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, President of Syria Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, and President of the World Bank Group Ajay Banga.
The annual UN Climate Change Conference brings together countries with the aim of accelerating action to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Key themes at the UN Climate Conference in Belém include new national commitments to reduce emissions as well as global indicators to assess countries’ progress in adapting to climate change.
The World Leaders Summit at COP30, also known as the Belém Climate Summit, precedes the negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held on 10–21 November. The Finnish delegation at the conference will be led by Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Sari Multala. Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio and Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto will also attend the conference.
- Statement by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb at the World Leaders’ Summit at COP30, in Belém, Brazil, on 6 November 2025
- More photos on Flickr
- COP30 Climate Change Conference website
- Ministry of the Environment of Finland 30.10.2025: Climate Change Conference in Belém to focus on implementation – more effective actions especially by large economies needed
