Climate Action
COUNTDOWN 7 CRAZY FACTS ABOUT COP
November 17, 2025
As COP 30 kicks off in Brazil and the world’s movers and shakers head to Belem – trying to agree on the best ways to mitigate fossil fuel powered climate change (yes it is real and happening) and in the process, help “save the planet.”
EARTHDAY.ORG will have a small dedicated team on the ground, championing climate education and why it matters. Basically climate literacy teaches green skills and is helping to power the global green economy and the transition to renewable energy.
But COP is always a madly busy, slightly chaotic affair and we wanted to countdown to 7 of the craziest COP related facts that you might read about in the mainstream press!
7. It’s like the Olympics of Climate… with coffee and no medals
Every year, nearly every country on Earth gathers for the COP, making it one of the largest diplomatic get-togethers in the world. This year the United States federal government won’t be in attendance as among other reasons, President Trump believes that climate change, is a “con job”. But there is empirical, fact based science that shows this is not the case. What is more, 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers agree that climate change is caused by human activity.
Since systematic scientific assessments began in the 1970s, the influence of human activity on the warming of the climate system has evolved from theory to established fact.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC)
Believe it or not, the first COP kicked off way back in 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Fun fact: it’s been around longer than most of us have had smartphones—and all of today’s social media giants didn’t exist yet: Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Instagram (2010).
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), for COP26 there were 25,000 pieces of furniture used, 7,000 m² of carpet, 330 water-coolers and 1,124 toilets on site, because even climate heroes need a seat.
6. When Underwater Means Literally Underwater…
The much-anticipated COP15 in Copenhagen, in 2009, ultimately ended in disappointment, failing to deliver a binding global climate agreement. Yet, just two months before the summit kicked off, on October 17th, 2009, the government of the Maldives, led by President Mohamed Nasheed and joined by 13 cabinet ministers, staged a remarkable underwater cabinet meeting.
Wearing scuba gear beneath the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the ministers signed a declaration calling for global action on climate change, symbolically underscoring the existential threat that rising sea levels pose to their low-lying island nation. It was a powerful but visually stunning way to dramatize both the reality, and gravity, of climate change the entire world faced.
What we are trying to make people realize is that the Maldives is a frontline state. This is not merely an issue for the Maldives but for the world.
President Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives, 2008–2012
5. When Fossil Fuel Delegate Numbers Explode
COP summits are basically pop-up cities? COP21 attracted over 38,000 delegates, and COP28 pulled in over a whopping 85,000. That is enough people to fill a small metropolis, complete with armies of negotiators, scientists, activists, business moguls, reporters, and lobbyists.
But the people trying to mitigate climate change are not alone. They are increasingly joined by the corporations driving climate change. Fossil fuel companies don’t just show up at COP—they roll deep. At COP28, a record-breaking 2,456 fossil fuel delegates registered, nearly quadrupling the numbers from COP27 and outnumbering delegates from almost every country except the host UAE and Brazil. That’s more fossil fuel reps than the entire delegations of the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable nations combined.
Big names make the guest list too—Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron have all sent teams of lobbyists, sometimes outnumbering even Indigenous representatives by seven to one. Over just four years (COP26–COP29), more than 5,5350 fossil fuel delegates walked the UN climate negotiation halls, representing 859 organizations responsible for nearly 60% of global oil and gas production.
4. Seaweed and Menus
At COP26, in beautiful Glasgow, Scotland, the organisers made some green moves: 95% of the food served in the “Blue Zone” was seasonal and from the United Kingdom, 185 lbs of locally harvested seaweed was used as a sustainable substitute for salt in dishes, and reusable aluminium water bottles were provided for all delegates. However meat and fish were still on the COP26 menu and critics pointed out, plus the venue was reportedly not wheelchair friendly, and for many the logistics were lacking.
For COP28 (Dubai, 2023) organisers committed to a menu where two-thirds of the food would be vegan or vegetarian.
The global fossil fuel crisis must be a game-changer… let’s earn the clean ticket to heaven.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, COP27
3. Asking the Fox to Guard the Chickens!
An investigation, as part of a joint probe with the Centre for Climate Reporting, revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the host of COP28, allegedly planned to use the climate talks to strike new oil and gas deals with a handful of other nations attending the summit.
Leaked briefing documents appeared to show that Sultan al-Jaber, the COP28 president and CEO of the UAE’s national oil company ADNOC, and others in his team, were seemingly provided with talking points originating from fossil fuel firms aiming to promote business deals during pre-conference meetings. The documents seemed to outline strategies for commercial discussions on new oil and gas developments, even as international bodies like the International Energy Agency, IEA, warned against new fossil fuel projects to meet climate targets.
In response to the findings, Sultan al Jaber denied using such talking points in his meetings. A COP28 spokesman was reported as saying the documents were “inaccurate” and had not been used by COP28 in meetings.
Critics described the situation as a “breathtaking conflict of interest’. Some campaigners stressed that the level of fossil fuel representation at COP negotiations seriously jeopardizes efforts to combat climate change.
But few lessons seem to have been learned after various news outlets reported that prior to COP29 in Azerbaijan, Elnur Soltanov, the head of Azerbaijan’s COP29 delegation and the country’s deputy energy minister, was apparently filmed discussing potential oil and gas investment with environmental campaigners posing undercover as fossil fuel groups, in exchange for sponsoring the event.
The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th U.S President
2. What About Everything Else?
One of the core goals for COP30 is to find ways to keep global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels — or face much worse climate impacts. Translation: when you hear “we’ve got to stay under 1.5,” that’s not just hype, it’s the science-backed bar for “hey, let’s keep the planet liveable for humans.” But what about all the other species that call Earth home – do we not have a responsibility to protect their right to existence too?
“I’m here today to say that Brazil is ready to come back … There is no climate security for the world without a protected Amazon. We will spare no efforts to have zero deforestation and the degradation of our biomes by 2030.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil
Climate scientists warn that many species are extremely vulnerable even to this 1.5°C threshold. One prominent study by University of Connecticut biologist Mark Urban, published in the journal Science, analyzed over 30 years of biodiversity and climate change research. It found that if global temperatures rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, nearly 1 in 50 species worldwide (about 180,000 species) could be at risk of extinction by 2100.
This risk increases sharply beyond 1.5°C warming, especially affecting amphibians, species in mountain, island, and freshwater ecosystems, and certain geographic regions like South America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Protecting wildlife is not only a moral imperative but a vital part of keeping ecosystems resilient and able to absorb carbon naturally. As COP30 unfolds, efforts to integrate wildlife conservation and ecosystem health as key climate solutions are emerging, recognizing that a livable future depends on safeguarding all life — not just human species survival.
1. Why You Need to Stay Alert!
When you think of COP as just a meeting of politicians, you’d be underselling it. Because it’s really a massive global stage where education meets policy, where civil society meets industry, and where the future of our planet gets negotiated.
For an organisation like EARTHDAY.ORG that’s invested in climate education—seeing how policy, diplomacy, science and active citizens converge at COP is vital.
Let’s keep watching, learning and pushing for climate education and action. Because as we all know: if the planet’s future is on the line, it is better to be in the room than outside it. If you want to support our work here are some things you can do: You can also have these free articles emailed directly to you by signing up for our email list. We don’t sell your details and we won’t share any adverts either!
If learning is enjoyable please feel free to use our CLIMATE EDUCATION assets. Take action and tell the U.S Congress: We Need Protection from Poison Pesticides and ask them to oppose Section 453 and keep our communities safe from dangerous chemicals.
Plus, If you are interested in learning more about how to support a more pollinator-friendly agriculture industry, check out our Renewable Agriculture campaign, and discover how agriculture can be used to help the planet not harm it.Consider donating to EARTHDAY.ORG or help us plant trees with the Canopy Tree Project and help us preserve the world’s forests. But whatever you do, do something!
If you want to learn more about why forests matter – please watch our brand new series UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG TRAIL.
Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speaks with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting: Elisangela Mendonça uncovers how the Amazon rainforest is being threatened by the collagen industry. Josephine Moulds takes us into the Congo Basin, where fossil fuel auctions are endangering one of the world’s most vital forest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought — to have their voices heard.
The episodes go live Novermber 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3 and YouTube: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.
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