COP30 boosts climate adaptation, with lingering questions over financing

[Information created based on the report on COP30 prepared by Alicia Pérez-Porro and Anna de las Heras Carles, from the Political Engagement and Institutional Relations area at CREAF]

Adaptation to climate impacts has been one of the most closely followed negotiation areas at COP30, held in Belém (Brazil), against a global backdrop marked by intensifying warming and persistent difficulties in turning plans into concrete action. The conference has represented a turning point in the international agenda on how societies adapt to climate change, particularly in the most vulnerable countries and territories, and has coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

One of the main outcomes of the summit was the adoption of the 59 Belém Adaptation Indicators, which constitute the first shared benchmark for tracking progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). The document includes metrics organised across seven thematic areas — water, food, agriculture, health, ecosystems, infrastructure and livelihoods — and across the different stages of the adaptation cycle, from risk assessment to monitoring. The decision explicitly recognises that adaptation takes place at national, subnational and local levels, thereby reinforcing the relevance of these indicators for regional and local governments.

Despite their political value, several countries and observers have warned that some parameters require more precise definitions and clearer methodologies in order to be applied effectively. As a result, parties have agreed to continue refining the framework within the context of the Belém–Addis Vision, with a review planned ahead of the next Global Stocktake. The practical usefulness of the indicators will depend largely on the availability of climate and vulnerability data, as well as on institutional capacity to integrate them into planning and monitoring processes.

The outcomes of COP30 have direct implications for subnational governments and for highly vulnerable regions such as the Mediterranean, where risks linked to water scarcity, extreme heat events, wildfires and ecosystem degradation are severe and evident. The new adaptation indicators and the guidance on NAPs provide useful frameworks for planning and monitoring adaptation at the territorial level. However, their real impact will depend on improved multilevel coordination, enhanced access to reliable climate data, and greater and more predictable financial support to translate political progress into concrete action on the ground.

The global summit also approved updated guidance on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), reaffirming key principles such as science- and ecosystem-based planning, participatory and gender-responsive approaches, and the integration of indigenous and local knowledge. At the same time, the decision acknowledges recurring barriers to implementing planned actions, including insufficient and unpredictable financing, gaps in climate information, and limitations in assessing medium- and long-term risks. Some independent observers have highlighted areas for improvement, such as the growing risks of maladaptation and the emergence of hard limits to adaptation in particularly vulnerable regions.

Alongside the technical outcomes, the COP presidency in Belém promoted the Mutirão Package, a high-level political declaration designed to accelerate climate action across all sectors and levels of governance, conceived as a political signal to strengthen the implementation of climate action and foster international cooperation. With regard to adaptation, this initiative has helped keep the issue at the centre of political debate and has encouraged the goal of at least tripling adaptation finance by 2035, albeit without establishing operational commitments or clear implementation pathways. The Global Implementation Accelerator was also announced, aimed at facilitating knowledge exchange and support for the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans.

Adaptation finance remains one of the most critical issues of the conference. The Adaptation Fund received USD 127.9 million in pledged contributions, well below its annual target, while governance issues affecting predictability and direct access to resources remain unresolved. At a broader level, the roadmap from Baku (COP29) to Belém (COP30) has set out the process towards the new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG), which is to be adopted at COP31 (scheduled to take place in Turkey in 2026), amid uncertainty over its final level of ambition.