Day 5 at COP30 Accelerates Global Action to Build a Clean and Connected Energy Future

Day 5 of COP30 carried a clear message: the world is actively building its transition. Across energy, industry, transport, finance, and community action, the day showed how diverse efforts are coming together to form a unified global system for a resilient and sustainable future. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱 ➣ The day opened with a clear sense of rising energy. What began as the 𝗕𝗲𝗹é𝗺 𝟰𝗫 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, a pledge introduced during the pre-COP discussions in mid-October 2025 to quadruple the use of sustainable fuels by 2035, has quickly grown into a vibrant coalition of 23 countries. Their joint launch of the Future Fuels Action Plan affirms that sustainable fuels are moving from ambition to active implementation. Across Latin America, partners came together to advance sustainable aviation fuels, demonstrating how regional cooperation is becoming a powerful catalyst. Complementing this, new commitments to hydrogen production and uptake added energy to the day’s theme ➣ This momentum is carried into the next chapter: modernizing the world’s power systems. Each year, leading utilities invest nearly $150 billion to expand and upgrade the grids essential for a clean-energy future. The launch of the 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹, along with new climate-finance principles backed by major development banks, underscored a shared recognition that strong, reliable grids are critical for delivering clean power to every community and industry. From the ten ASEAN nations to countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, new commitments showed that this transformation is already taking shape. ➣ Ministers formally adopted the Belém 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, marking a significant milestone for emerging economies aiming to integrate clean manufacturing into their growth strategies. With $140 billion in new clean industrial projects and global steel standards now interoperable across 70% of production, countries are starting to build the markets, tools, and partnerships that make low-carbon products competitive worldwide. ➣ This industrial advancement naturally connected to the global shift toward cleaner energy. Several coalitions, including the 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗖) launched at COP30 by the WRI Polsky Center, presented practical plans to help countries move from coal, oil, and gas toward cleaner options. New financial data also showed a strong trend—more public money is now supporting clean energy than ever before. Emphasizing the coalitions ensure a just transition for every country and community involved. ➣ From here, attention has shifted to how efficiency and mobility can accelerate global progress. The introduction of the 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗗𝗲-𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 gave a clearer path to cleaner, smarter technologies with greater financial confidence. This momentum extended to transport, a sector central to climate action. Ten countries endorsed a landmark Declaration for a Global Transport Effort, setting a 2035 goal of cutting energy demand by 25% and ensuring one-third of transport energy comes from sustainable biofuels and renewables. With countries from Latin America and Europe—including Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Norway, and others, endorsing the declaration reflects a united effort to reshape transportation. ➣ The day’s narrative showcased the human impact of the energy transition, as the 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱, supported by $86 million in grants and major leveraged financing from the World Bank and private partners, has delivered clean cooking solutions to over 37 million people and thousands of institutions. Building on this progress, the Platform for Clean Cooking in Schools is set to expand its reach from 10 countries to 20 by 2026, with a vision for global scale by 2030, giving children and communities a healthier, safer future. As Day 5 drew to a close, COP30 showed a world in motion with countries, industries, financial institutions, and communities beginning to stitch together the systems—the fuels, the grids, the standards, the investments, and the human-centered solutions—that are powering the clean-energy transition.