COP30: Adaptation on the agenda like never before

It has been a fortnight since COP30 concluded - time enough to digest and reflect. Hosted in the Amazonian city of Belém the conference was marked by high hopes going in, and tensions throughout - from protests by Indigenous groups and civil society to last-minute negotiations. Predictions of a low turnout ended up being far from the reality, with provisional numbers putting this as the second-highest attended COP ever. It is heartening, then, to see that for many, climate action remains a priority. Billed ‘The Adaptation COP’, adaptation was on the agenda like never before, due in part to our incredible partners campaigning tirelessly for this to be the case. 

Indeed, The Belém Package (the set of 29 decisions agreed upon at COP30) includes a call for at least tripling adaptation finance by 2035. Given that there is a significant shortfall in current funding, this is, of course, a welcome step forward. We share the view that adaptation finance cannot wait and echo the perspective of Natalie Unterstell, President of Instituto Talanoa, one of our partners, who was on-the-ground pushing adaptation to the top of the COP30 agenda, in The Guardian: 

The pledge to triple adaptation finance is welcome, as it answers the call of the least developed countries and a global coalition. But moving the goalpost to 2035 dilutes ambition. Adaptation can’t wait, especially as the finance for developing nations has been decreasing while climate impacts accelerate.

In the run-up to and throughout COP30 many of our partners were on-the-ground, working to make sure that adaptation was at the heart of the COP30 agenda:

• Instituto Talanoa campaigned tirelessly to ensure that adaptation was given due prominence both in the COP30 negotiations and on the fringes, with Natalie Unterstell calling for adaptation and mitigation to be treated with equal emphasis in TIME Magazine. They produced a guide covering how to talk about adaptation for journalists and media professionals. The guide showcased multiple inspiring Foundation-supported initiatives – PELUM Zimbabwe, ECI, RedR, SEEDS India, Sand Dams Worldwide, Ashden, and Climate Resilience for All – as leading examples of global best practice. Humanity Insured and Start Network were specifically highlighted as influential voices shaping climate adaptation. The webinar launching the guide had over 200 attendees with speakers including COP CEO Ana Toni. 
• Start Network supported its members in raising awareness of anticipatory action, with delegates participating in events and discussions on community and indigenous-led climate action, adaptation financing, local climate solutions in fragile states and indigenous knowledge as climate innovation. You can view their insights on the negotiations on the Global Goals for Adaptation here.
• Climate Resilience for All (CRA) focused their energies on those on the frontline of the climate crisis, releasing their “Insurance to Impact” guide for policymakers, donors, grassroots organisations, insurers and researchers worldwide. The guide outlines CRA’s pioneering approach to using insurance to protect women’s health, income and dignity. You can read it here. 
• PELUM Zimbabwe hosted a series on Holistic Land and Livestock Management, highlighting the importance of implementation rooted in community-led nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems. They called for Governments to embed regenerative land management into their climate policies and NDC implementation and for investors and philanthropy to increase funding for scalable community-led agroecological solutions. 
• REDR CEO Bernadette Sexton was in Belém with her team to advocate for climate adaptation. You can read her reflections on her time at COP30 here. 

I personally could not be prouder of the fiercely passionate and tireless teams behind each of the partners that we work with, who advocate endlessly for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Although COP30 might be over and the agreement signed, the work is just beginning, and I know that they will be at the forefront of leading the change the world so desperately needs. 

- Claire Harbron, CEO