Every year, the headlines coming out of climate summits are full of ambition.

COP30 will be no different: we’ll hear about pledges, agreements, timelines, and declarations. The speeches will sound good. The press releases will be polished. But if recent years have taught us anything, it’s this: People aren’t buying the performance anymore. They want proof.

And rightly so. For decades, we’ve heard the same messages: “Bold targets. Historic agreements. A turning point for climate.” But emissions keep rising. Biodiversity keeps collapsing. Finance keeps stalling. And the people doing the most to push solutions? They’re still waiting for real backing.

The public isn’t cynical. They’re fed up with being asked to believe in a process that doesn’t deliver.

This is why I created The GreenPlan. It’s not a philosophy. It’s not a set of ideals. It’s a verified system that lets businesses, public services, and communities show the world exactly what they’re doing, in numbers, not promises.

When someone says they’re “on a sustainability journey,” I ask: “Where’s the data? What’s your CO₂ baseline? What’s been reduced? What behaviour has shifted? What systems have changed?”

And if those answers don’t exist, then all we’re doing is marketing.

COP30 must mark the end of climate theatre.

Because here’s the thing: most people want action. Most businesses want to do the right thing. They just need the tools, the support, and the structure to do it properly. That’s what The GreenPlan offers: real action, across seven core themes, tracked and verified to global standards.

We don’t need more vision statements. We need visible change. That’s how you rebuild trust. That’s how you move the dial.

So my message heading into COP30 is simple: stop applauding ambition. Start demanding evidence. It’s what the public expects. It’s what the planet needs. And it’s the only way we turn this decade of doubt into a decade of delivery.

Proof wins. Let’s bring it.