Adaptation will be a central theme of COP30, said André Corrêa do Lago

André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 President, and Ana Toni, COP30 CEO, participated in a debate at the UN Climate Change Conference that focused on the central importance of this issue. They emphasized the urgent need for public policies and local actions to address climate impacts.

COP30 President, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, announced that accelerating adaptation to climate change will be one of the key focus of the conference, which Brasil will host in November in the city of Belém, Pará. Speaking at an event in Brasília (DF), Ambassador Corrêa do Lago emphasized that the effects of the climate emergency are already tangible and that increasing resilience must be a fundamental part of countries' public policies.

In the beginning, when we discussed adaptation, most negotiators believed that focusing on adaptation meant surrendering on mitigation," said Corrêa do Lago at the conclusion of the event "Adaptation as a priority for COP30" organized by the Talanoa Institute.

The ambassador noted that the local nature of many adaptation measures complicates efforts to secure international finance for increasing climate resilience. On the other hand, efforts to mitigate emissions present a different scenario: a country that funds the reduction of greenhouse gases elsewhere also benefits itself.

“What has shifted dramatically? Extreme climate events are getting closer and closer. Last year in Brasil was frightening, and what happened in Porto Alegre explained to Brazilians the difference adaptation makes. Many of these impacts could have been mitigated if adaptation policies had been integrated into infrastructure planning," he said.

Adaptation will be a prominent theme in the COP30 discussions, featuring debates on global indicators for the subject. It will also play a significant role in the action agenda, which will be enhanced in Belém due to negotiation limits and the geopolitical landscape, according to Corrêa do Lago.

Discussions stressed the urgency of increasing resilience to climate change, promoting equitable adaptation, and considering it a strategy for development and transformation. Another focal point was adaptation finance, including progressing towards the commitment to double it by 2025, and the Baku-Belém roadmap, aiming for $1.3 trillion in climate finance by 2035.

During a panel with Maldives' climate envoy Ali Shareef, Irish ambassador Fiona Flood, and Andreas Dahl-Jorgensen, director of Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative, COP30 CEO Ana Toni emphasized Brazil's intent to lead by example:

“We are developing 16 sectoral plans and the National Adaptation Strategy under the Climate Plan, which will guide Brasil's climate policy until 2035. We have launched the Climate Fund and AdaptaCidades to support local governments in formulating their plans and projects. Our national platform will dedicate an entire section to adaptation," Ana Toni stated.

COP30 will be anchored in four pillars: a meeting of heads of state, negotiations, an agenda for action and engagement, and mobilization. The goal, she added, is to address adaptation across all these fronts:

“To influence COP30, we must consider adaptation’s place in all these pillars, focusing on financing for adaptation,” she said. “As COP30 presidency, we are addressing this theme across all fronts and we hope to work together with many actors leading up to Belem.”

Minister Marina Silva opened the event, stating that, regardless of the negative views, climate change has already taken hold and combating it requires transforming the development model and financing approaches.

"Adaptation is not only about restoring riparian forests or seeking nature-based solutions; it's also about adapting investments: exploring new credit lines, rethinking insurance, and declaring emergencies," stated the minister.

The event gathered international representatives, including Patricia Espinosa, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary; Richard Muyungi, Tanzania's Special Envoy for Climate and Chair of the African Group of Negotiators; and Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor for Climate Change at the IDB. It also featured civil society members, such as Sinéia do Vale, Co-Chair of the Indigenous Caucus, and Pilar Bueno, Executive Director of Argentina 1.5ºC, along with experts like scientist Carlos Nobre and economist Sergio Margulis.