- The fourth Copenhagen Climate Ministerial takes place on 7-8 May 2025. Following the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in March, this is the second major climate ministerial meeting of 2025 and a key moment in the steady drumbeat of climate diplomacy until COP30.
- It is an opportunity for governments to build momentum toward COP30 and set clear expectations on what November’s conference must achieve. It also offers Denmark the opportunity to set out their climate diplomacy vision ahead of assuming the EU Presidency in June.
- The discussions will have a strong focus on the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to 2035, implementing the Global Stocktake outcome, mobilizing climate finance, just transition pathways and adaptation and resilience.
Story
On 7-8 May 2025, the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial will bring together over 30 climate ministers and leaders to set the direction for the climate negotiations during the June Climate Meetings (SB62) in Bonn, Germany, and at COP30 in Brazil in November. In its fourth year, the Ministerial will be hosted by the Danish Minister of Climate, Energy, and Utilities, Lars Aagaard, together with COP 29 President, H.E. Mr. Mukhtar Babayev, and COP 30 President-Designate, H.E. Mr. André Corrêa do Lago.
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement and the year governments must deliver the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which set out climate targets up to 2035, deliver National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and complete the first set of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) to provide a clearer picture of implementation of the Paris Agreement. Following the Leaders’ virtual summit on climate and the just transition, hosted on 23 April by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the closed-door discussions in Copenhagen are an excellent chance to demonstrate how countries are responding to Mr. Guterres’s call to “to chart a bold path for the next decade and [..] speed up a just transition away from fossil fuels”. Ministers are likely to discuss NDCs as drivers of long-term development, just transition pathways, the mobilisation of climate finance through the Baku to Belem Roadmap, adaptation and resilience, implementing the Global Stocktake outcome and the best available science for accelerating the Paris Agreement implementation.
Quotes
Kaysie Brown, Associate Director, E3G said:
“The Copenhagen Climate Ministerial is a crucial waypoint on the road to COP30 and in this critical year where governments must come together and build trust in the multilateral system and demonstrate real-world progress. Copenhagen will provide an early insight into whether countries are prepared to commit to ambitious outcomes on the full range of topics under discussion. Ministers should use the meeting to encourage timely NDC submissions – including the EU’s and China’s – so we know where the world stands in its efforts to meet the Paris temperature goals.”
Cosima Cassel, Programme Lead, E3G said:
“A litmus test for climate multilateralism in 2025 will be implementing the GST outcomes. The Copenhagen Ministerial can set the expectations for productive discussions on GST implementation at the UNFCCC sessions in Bonn and at COP30, which reinvigorate the existing declarations on the energy transition, as well as capturing the contribution of the Action Agenda to the Paris goals.”
Ana Mulio Alvarez, Policy Advisor, E3G said:
“Climate impacts are intensifying globally. It is in every countries’ strategic interest to make significant progress to adapt to climate change. The Copenhagen Ministerial can make an ambitious push to scale adaptation finance, enhance finance quality and accessibility, and link national planning and help sustain momentum ahead of the June Climate talks in Bonn.”
Rob Moore, Associate Director, E3G said:
“Whilst the headlines on climate finance have been dominated by widespread aid cuts and immense political uncertainty, there is still a huge amount of progress that can be made this year. The Brazilian COP30 Presidency has shown leadership in driving forward a progressive finance agenda that brings together the various coalitions needed to meet the sustainable investment challenge. The EU, under the Danish presidency, will have a critical role to play in ensuring its success. This week’s meeting will provide early insight into the path forward for this coalition, including the role Europe will play.”
Angeline Sanzay, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G said:
“With Denmark preparing to take on the EU Presidency, the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial is a strategic moment for the EU to step up and show confident, forward-looking leadership. It is vital that the EU sets the pace by committing to submit its new NDC well ahead of the September deadline—and with ambition aligned to at least a 90% emissions reduction by 2040. Copenhagen is not just another stop on the road to COP30—it is a key milestone to demonstrate that multilateral climate action is alive and delivering.”
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Available for comment
Cosima Cassel (EN, DE, ES), E3G Programme Lead, (multilateral climate diplomacy, UNFCCC)
m: +49 (0) 160 339 0883 | cosima.cassel@e3g.org
Kaysie Brown (EN), E3G Associate Director, (multilateral climate diplomacy, geopolitics, US foreign policy)
kaysie.brown@e3g.org
Ana Mulio Alvarez (EN, ES), E3G Policy Advisor, (UNFCCC, loss and damage, adaptation)
m: +32 490 000 514 | ana.mulio@e3g.org
Rob Moore (EN), E3G Associate Director, (MDBs/DFIs, financial architecture reform, climate finance geopolitics)
rob.moore@e3g.org
Leo Roberts (EN), E3G Programme Lead, (JETPs, coal phase-out, power sector transitions particularly Global South)
m: +44 (0) 7908 664 334 | leo.roberts@e3g.org
Alden Meyer (EN), E3G Senior Associate, (UNFCCC and G7/G20 dynamics, multilateral climate and clean energy diplomacy, mitigation ambition, climate finance, US policy and politics)
m: +1-202-378-8619 | alden.meyer@e3g.org
Gustavo Pinheiro (EN, PT), E3G Senior Associate, (COP30, G20 dynamics, BRICS)
m: + gustavo.pinheiro@e3g.org
Elisa Giannelli (EN, IT, FR), E3G Programme Lead, (EU politics, 2040 target)
m: + 32 (0) 494 58 48 29 | elisa.giannelli@e3g.org
Notes to Editors
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