COP30 in Belém highlighted a clear shift in global energy priorities. Across ministerial discussions, forums and industry sessions, governments emphasised that stronger grids and energy storage are now essential to delivering national climate goals. Flexibility has become the next frontier of the energy transition, and now more than ever long duration energy storage (LDES) is central to achieving it.
The LDES Council and its members, including Alfa Laval, Ørsted, Google and Amazon, were active throughout COP30, helping to advance practical steps for integrating LDES into national planning and real-world deployment.
Moving from pledges to progress
The LDES Council’s flagship event, Storage Pledge to Progress, brought together storage developers, system experts, national associations and international partners to discuss how countries can move from ambition to implementation. The LDES Council also shared a preview to its forthcoming white paper, Accelerating LDES Bankability, which outlines a practical framework to improve investment readiness necesaary to scale long duration storage.
Across the week, LDES Council members reinforced a consistent message heard throughout COP30: storage deployment accelerates when governments provide clear, long-term signals and integrate LDES into national planning.
System-level action gathers pace
A major development at COP30 was the announcement of the Grids and Storage Package, coordinated by Germany, the Brazilian Presidency and the Global Renewables Alliance. The package strengthens the enabling environment for flexibility through:
• new regional grid financing in Southeast Asia and Latin America
• expanded early-stage support through the Global Grid Catalyst • a new coordinating council for grid expansion in Brazil
• endorsement of the Climate Finance Principles for Grids
This commitment to system infrastructure aligns strongly with the needs of LDES deployment. Utilities also signaled readiness for system change. The Utilities for Net Zero Alliance announced updated investment plans totaling 148 billion US dollars per year, with a growing share directed to grids and storage rather than new renewable generation.
Growing global alignment around storage
Support continued to build behind the commitment to deploy 1.5 terawatts of energy storage by 2030, first established at COP29. California joined as the first subnational government and five Brazilian states added their support, underscoring broader regional leadership in flexibility.
Updated analysis from the LDES Council shows:
• 99 countries now reference energy storage in their NDCs
• 19 include specific storage targets
• only 2 mention long duration storage explicitly
COP30 highlighted the importance of addressing this gap. Integrating LDES into NDCs and national strategies strengthens investor confidence, guides system design and supports reliable clean power.
Why COP30 matters for LDES
COP30 placed grids, flexibility and storage at the centre of the energy transition. This creates clearer pathways for the integration of long duration storage into national planning, investment frameworks and deployment strategies. There is now broad recognition that LDES is essential to achieving reliable, resilient and cost-effective clean energy systems.
