The World Climate Conference is experiencing its first midlife crisis in its 30th edition. The United States, which under President Donald Trump has completely turned its back on climate protection, is not participating in COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. European countries remain on board, but have long been wavering at home when it comes to concrete commitments and roadmaps.

Germany, for example, wants to invest more in fossil fuels again because domestic industry is calling for it. The timing is less than ideal. By the time new gas-fired power plants come online, the industrial base may have long since migrated, or at least been severely depleted. The decision, if deemed appropriate, should have been made years ago. In any case, the gas supply situation remains uncertain, as dependence on imports is set to continue in the long term. Instead of being solely dependent on Russia, it is now also the US and Qatar that must ensure the supply of this energy source – alongside Norway and Russia.

Meanwhile, in Europe, the axe is being wielded at the so-called combustion engine ban. This is a phantom discussion, because electric cars are likely to be cheaper than gasoline or diesel cars in the long run, both in terms of purchase price and operating costs. And there are already signs that a sufficiently well-equipped electric car will attract interest even in Europe. Although the new iX3 is only available for pre-order in one variant, BMW's order book is filling up so quickly that the planned 2026 production run is almost sold out.

While Europe is vacillating and the US is disappearing from the scene altogether, China is shining. Admittedly, the Chinese are far from exemplary when it comes to environmental and climate protection in their domestic market. In the energy sector, anything that generates electricity is connected to the grid – whether it's solar, wind, coal, or nuclear power. Instead, the Chinese are supplying the rest of the world with the technology for decarbonisation: affordable solar modules and inexpensive electric cars. Ahead of COP 30, this earned the country special praise from André Corrêa do Lago, who is organising the conference for Brazil. More countries should follow China's example instead of complaining about their own lack of competitiveness. Once again, it is clear that the Middle Kingdom is ideally positioned to fill the gaps left by the US. Europe should be aware that COP 30 offers more opportunities than „just“ climate protection.