Reading the Room at COP30: Understanding the Signs, Colours, and Progress Signals in Climate Negotiations

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém is not just a gathering of leaders, activists, and experts — it is a complex negotiation ecosystem. Beyond speeches and formal plenaries, the real story of progress is told through badges, body language, text colours, and now increasingly, negotiation-status indicators used by the UNFCCC and observers.

Understanding these signs allows insiders to track the shifting dynamics of the negotiations in real time. Here is how to interpret the signals that reveal the true state of climate talks at COP30.

1. Badge Colours: Who Holds Influence

Negotiators, observers, journalists, and UN staff each wear distinct badge colours:

Blue – Party Delegates

The decision-makers.When blue badges rush into closed rooms or form tight circles, something significant is unfolding.

Gold/Yellow – Ministers & Heads of Delegation

Their presence marks a transition from technical to political negotiations — a sign that an issue is either close to resolution or deeply stuck.

Pink – Observers (CSOs, youth, NGOs)

If pink badges crowd the hallways or media points, transparency is reducing and tension is rising.

Blue – UNFCCC Secretariat

When green-badge staff tighten corridor access, expect intense negotiations or emergency consultations.

2. Reading the Mood: The Body Language of Negotiations

Negotiators communicate silently through behaviour:

Huddles

Small, urgent groups signal:

• a breakthrough being crafted

• or a crisis requiring instant compromise

Closed Informal Sessions (“Informal-Informals”)

A sign that negotiations have become sensitive and delicate.

Midnight or All-Night Sessions

Indicate a major impasse or last-minute text rewrites.

3. Text Colours and Brackets: The Status of Negotiation Text

Negotiation documents at COP include visual signals:

Green Text – Clear Progress

Fully agreed language. No further debate.

Yellow Text – Limited Progress

The text is converging, but not yet finalized.

Red Text – Challenged

Extremely sensitive issues with hard disagreements (often finance, loss and damage, fossil fuels, or Article 6).

Bracketed Text [ … ] – Off-track

Brackets indicate no agreement. The more brackets, the worse the state of negotiations.

Blank or Uncoloured Sections – Too Soon to Tell

These areas still await input, compromise, or drafting.

4. The New Negotiation Signals: Understanding Progress Indicators

In recent years, negotiations have begun using broader symbolic indicators to summarize the state of play across thematic areas (mitigation, adaptation, finance, Article 6, transparency, etc.)

Here’s how to interpret them:

✔ Clear Progress

Outcome is on track and Parties are converging.

▲ Limited Progress

Movement exists but more work is needed.

⚠ Challenged

Sticking points remain. Positions are far apart.

✖ Off-track

Negotiations are stalled, polarized, or regressing.

◆ Too Soon to Tell

Discussions are early-stage or awaiting political direction.

↗ Gaining Momentum

Political or technical energy is rising — often seen when ministers arrive.

∿ Turbulent

Talks are unstable; rapidly shifting positions.

→ No Change

Stagnant. Delegates are repeating previous talking points.

↘ Losing Traction

Support for a proposal is weakening; compromise is slipping away.

These symbols often appear in daily negotiation briefs, presidency updates, and civil society trackers.

5. The Corridors: The Nervous System of COP30

To understand the heart of negotiations, watch the hallways:

• Rapid movement → urgency or crisis

• Journalists clustering → breaking developments

• Regional Groups (G77, AOSIS, AGN) in emergency meetings → rising tension

• CSO chants getting louder → frustration with slow progress

The corridor atmosphere often reveals the true temperature of the negotiations.

6. The Presidency’s Tone as a Barometer

The COP30 Presidency’s public messaging reveals internal dynamics:

Optimistic tone → Clear or Limited Progress

Cautious tone → Challenged

Urgent tone → Off-track

Emotional appeals → Losing Traction or Turbulent

If the Presidency begins urging “political courage,” negotiations are in trouble.

7. “Friends of the Chair”: A Signal of Crisis or Hope

When issues hit deadlock, the Presidency appoints “Friends of the Chair” — respected ministers asked to mediate.This means:

• The issue is both important and stuck

• High-level diplomacy is required

• A deal may be crafted behind closed doors

If this mechanism is used repeatedly, negotiations are highly contested.

8. Final Plenary Delays: The Ultimate Sign

When the closing plenary is delayed by hours (or days), it means:

• final compromises are still unresolved

• last-minute negotiations are happening

• countries are fighting over a few remaining paragraphs

A delayed plenary is one of the clearest signs of Off-Track negotiations.

Conclusion:

A Climate Negotiation Has Its Own Language. From badge colours and bracketed text to arrows showing momentum, COP30 negotiations speak a silent but powerful language. Understanding these signals helps you track progress, identify roadblocks, and anticipate breakthroughs. As the world gathers in Belém, deciphering these signs is essential for: negotiators, observers, activists. Journalists and anyone working to accelerate climate action.

Cedric Dzelu

Technical Director

Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability of Ghana