COP30 Kicks Off With Hard Talks on Money, Adaptation and Global South Leadership

COP30 opened in Belém with a clear message from the Brazilian presidency: this is an implementation COP, with adaptation at its centre. More than 47,000 delegates from 195 countries arrived as President André Corrêa do Lago urged the world to look to the Global South for solutions, given the US’s absence and Europe’s diluted climate ambition. India set the tone for developing nations, forcefully emphasising equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) while demanding clarity on climate finance, a stronger Global Goal on Adaptation, and a universally agreed definition of climate funding.

Negotiations got underway quickly, with the presidency pushing through the agenda on Day 1 to avoid procedural delays. Contentious issues include unilateral trade measures, NDC updates, Biennial Transparency Reports, and Article 9.1 on finance obligations. The first two days also saw protests inside the venue, prompting UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell to criticise security failures and call for better conditions amid extreme heat and flooding.

A major development came with the launch of the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), which secured more than $5.5 billion in initial pledges. Norway committed $3 billion, Brazil and Indonesia $1 billion each, and smaller contributions came from France, the Netherlands and Portugal. The fund — the first climate finance mechanism led by the Global South — will pay forest countries $4 per hectare annually to keep forests standing, with at least 20% of payments guaranteed for Indigenous and local communities.

On finance, the IHLEG report dominated conversations, arguing emerging economies need $3.2 trillion annually until 2035 and urging an integrated finance agenda anchored in public grants, private capital, carbon markets, South–South cooperation, and MDB reform. The report shifts greater responsibility onto developing countries to craft credible, country-led investment plans capable of attracting large-scale capital.

WMO Warns World Is Set to Overshoot 1.5°C as 2025 Nears Record Heat

The world is now all but certain to overshoot the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit, the World Meteorological Organisation warned at COP30 in Belém, as new data showed 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year on record. The WMO’s State of the Global Climate Update found that 2015–2025 will be the hottest 11-year stretch ever observed, with 2024 becoming the first year to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for an entire year.

Global temperatures from January to August 2025 averaged 1.42°C above the pre-industrial baseline, reflecting a shift from El Niño to neutral or La Niña conditions. UN secretary-general António Guterres said each year above 1.5°C will deepen inequalities, damage economies and leave irreversible impacts unless governments act at “speed and scale.”

Stronger NDCs could slow warming, but not enough: UNEP report

The UNEP Emissions Gap Report warned that the world remains far off track to meet the Paris Agreement goals, with global warming still headed for 2.3–2.5°C even if all current NDCs are fully implemented. Without stronger action, existing policies would push temperatures up to 2.8°C. UNEP said the slight improvement over last year is largely due to methodological updates, while the upcoming US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will cancel out much of that gain. Crucially, a temporary overshoot of 1.5°C is now unavoidable, driven by record-high emissions that rose to 57.7 GtCO2e in 2024. India, China and Indonesia saw the biggest increases. UN secretary-general António Guterres urged COP30 to deliver a credible plan to close both the ambition and finance gaps.

Climate Finance Is Ignoring Health: New Report

A new report released ahead of COP30 warns that global climate finance is failing to protect public health, even as climate-driven illnesses, heat stress and disease outbreaks surge worldwide. The Adelphi study finds that only 0.5% of multilateral climate finance — just $173 million since 2004 — has supported health adaptation, despite health priorities appearing in 87% of National Adaptation Plans. South Asia, which is projected to face 18% of future climate-related health impacts, has received no country-specific health adaptation funding. India, already strained by heatwaves, vector-borne diseases and extreme weather, will need more than $2.4 trillion by 2050 to manage climate risks.The report urges grant-based finance, country-led priorities and stronger climate–health coordination to prevent millions of avoidable deaths.

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