Climate Adaptation at COP30: What to Expect – Earth.Org

Report on COP30 Negotiations for Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Aligning Climate Adaptation with SDG 13

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, commenced in Belém, Brazil, with a primary focus on climate adaptation. This agenda is critical for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and directly addresses Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action). Negotiations are centered on establishing indicators, financing mechanisms, and operational frameworks to bolster global resilience against climate change impacts. The discussions highlight the disparity between developed and developing nations, with the latter being disproportionately affected by extreme weather events, underscoring the importance of achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through equitable climate action.

Climate adaptation involves adjusting human and natural systems to reduce vulnerabilities. With climate impacts already manifest globally, adaptation measures are essential to protect lives, infrastructure, and economies, thereby supporting the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA): A Framework for Multiple SDGs

The Paris Agreement established the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability. A key task at COP30 is to finalize a set of indicators to measure progress toward this goal. These indicators are organized under seven thematic areas that demonstrate a strong alignment with numerous Sustainable Development Goals:

• Water supply and sanitation: Directly supports SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
• Food and agriculture: Crucial for achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Impacts on health and health services: Aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• Ecosystems and biodiversity: Contributes to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Infrastructure and human settlements: Essential for SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Eradication of poverty, and livelihoods: Addresses SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Cultural heritage and traditional knowledge: Supports the social and cultural dimensions of sustainable development.

The approval of a consolidated list of approximately 100 indicators at COP30 is expected to operationalize the GGA, providing a clear pathway for monitoring progress on climate adaptation and its contributions to the SDGs.

Climate Finance: A Critical Enabler for SDG 17 and Climate Action

Effective climate adaptation is contingent upon adequate financing, a central theme of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Negotiations at COP30 are revisiting the commitment made at COP26 to double adaptation financing to approximately US$40 billion by 2025. Developing countries, particularly the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), are advocating for a new, more ambitious target, such as tripling the current financing by 2030. However, a significant gap persists between required and available funds, which severely hampers progress on SDG 13.

• Estimated Annual Need: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that developing countries require between US$310 billion and US$365 billion annually for adaptation until 2035.
• Current Financial Flows: International public financing for adaptation in developing countries was US$26 billion in 2023, a decrease from US$28 billion in 2022.

Bridging this financial gap is a critical prerequisite for the successful implementation of adaptation measures and the achievement of related sustainable development targets.

National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Implementation Challenges

National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are the primary instruments for countries to integrate climate change measures into national policies, directly contributing to SDG 13.2. To date, 68 countries have submitted their NAPs to the UNFCCC. The principal challenge identified is not the formulation of these plans but their implementation. Discussions at COP30 aim to review and enhance the technical guidelines for NAPs to provide countries with better support for turning plans into action. This requires robust international cooperation, including financial resources and capacity-building, as outlined in SDG 17.

Negotiation Dynamics and Challenges to SDG Progress

The negotiations on climate adaptation at COP30 face several challenges that could impede progress on the SDGs. These challenges reflect deep-seated divisions between developed and developing nations.

1. Consensus on GGA Indicators: A lack of consensus has emerged among developing countries regarding the final list of 100 indicators. Some parties have proposed postponing the decision to COP31, which could delay the implementation and monitoring of adaptation efforts essential for the SDGs.
2. Disputes over Financing Indicators: There is disagreement on indicators related to financing, particularly concerning the responsibilities of developed countries and the role of the private sector. This reflects ongoing tensions related to SDG 10 and SDG 17.
3. Divergent Country Positions: Developed countries often seek to separate financing from adaptation discussions. In contrast, developing countries insist on integrating the means of implementation and including specific provisions for Indigenous peoples and local communities, which is vital for ensuring an equitable and just transition in line with the 2030 Agenda.

Outlook and Expectations for Advancing the 2030 Agenda

An ideal outcome from COP30 would involve the formal approval of the GGA indicators and a clear commitment to providing financial and technical support for the implementation of NAPs. Achieving this requires not only financing but also a focus on capacity-building, a core tenet of SDG 17, to ensure that developing countries possess the technical and scientific structures necessary to execute their adaptation strategies. Despite initial challenges in the negotiations, there is an expectation that consensus can be reached. A positive outcome at COP30 is crucial for advancing the global climate adaptation agenda and, consequently, for the successful achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article connects climate change to poverty by highlighting that developing countries, which have “higher poverty rates,” are particularly vulnerable. The discussion on adaptation measures for “Eradication of poverty, and livelihoods” directly links climate action to poverty reduction.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The development of indicators for “Food and agriculture” as part of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) shows a direct connection. The article also mentions “climate risk management in agriculture” as a key adaptation action.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article explicitly links climate change to health by mentioning the need for “surveillance systems for diseases caused by vectors that benefit from rising temperatures (such as Aedes aegypti, which causes dengue fever).” Furthermore, “Impacts on health and health services” is one of the seven thematic areas for adaptation indicators.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This goal is directly addressed as “Water supply and sanitation” is listed as one of the primary thematic areas for which adaptation indicators are being developed under the GGA.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article discusses the impact of extreme weather events like storms, floods, and tornadoes on human settlements, citing the example of a tornado in Paraná, Brazil, that caused deaths and injuries. It also mentions “investment in infrastructure in areas at risk” and “Infrastructure and human settlements” as a key area for adaptation, which aligns with making cities and communities more resilient.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This is the central theme of the article. The entire text revolves around “climate adaptation,” the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and international negotiations at COP30 to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to the impacts of climate change.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The goal is addressed through the inclusion of “Ecosystems and biodiversity” as a thematic area for developing adaptation indicators. This acknowledges the need to protect natural systems from the impacts of climate change.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article extensively discusses the financial and capacity-building partnerships between developed and developing nations. It highlights the division between these groups on financing, the goal to double adaptation finance, and the need for “capacity building so that developing countries can implement their adaptation decisions.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.

  The article’s focus on protecting lives in developing countries, which are “particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,” and establishing indicators for “Eradication of poverty, and livelihoods” directly supports this target.

• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.

  The article mentions the need to protect lives from extreme weather events and gives a specific example of a tornado in Brazil where “Seven people died and more than 750 were injured,” illustrating the exact problem this target aims to address.

• Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

  This target is the core of the article’s discussion on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), which “seeks to increase countries’ adaptive capacity, strengthen their resilience, and reduce their vulnerability to climate change.”

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

  The discussion on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as an “instrument for countries to plan and implement adaptation measures in the medium and long term” is a direct reflection of this target.

• Target 13.b: Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities.

  The article explicitly states that “it is important to ensure capacity building so that developing countries can implement their adaptation decisions,” directly aligning with this target’s objective.

• Target 17.3: Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.

  The article’s detailed discussion on “financing for climate adaptation,” the COP26 agreement to double financing to “US$40 billion by 2025,” and the push by developing countries for a new, higher financing target directly relates to mobilizing financial resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Development of a Formal Indicator Framework: The article’s main focus is the negotiation at COP30 over a “consolidated list” of 100 indicators to measure progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation. It states these indicators “would serve to measure how many lives are being protected or to what extent systems are strengthened against climate change.” This is a direct reference to creating a measurement system.
• Financial Flows for Adaptation: The article provides specific quantitative indicators for climate finance. It mentions the target of “US$40 billion by 2025,” the actual flow of “US$26 billion… in 2023,” and the estimated need of “US$310 billion and US$365 billion per year until 2035.” These figures are direct indicators of financial support for adaptation.
• Number of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs): The article provides a clear indicator of national planning efforts by stating that “68 countries submitted their National Adaptation Plans to the UNFCCC.” This metric measures the integration of climate adaptation into national strategies (Target 13.2).
• Human Casualties from Disasters: The article implies the use of disaster impact metrics by citing the example of a tornado in Brazil where “Seven people died and more than 750 were injured.” This data serves as a direct indicator for measuring the human cost of extreme weather events (Target 11.5).

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: earth.org