Sopuruchi Onwuka

Delegations representing major developing country blocs at the 30^th Conference of Parties to the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 30) pressed developed countries to deliver larger, clearer, and more predictable flows of climate finance, warning that current efforts fall far short of what is needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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Across all regional and negotiating groups were of common view that developing countries cannot meet their climate goals without a major increase in predictable, accessible, and high-quality climate finance from developed countries.

In making strong call for scaled-up finance, every group agreed that current climate finance levels fall far short of what is needed and urged developed countries to increase public finance and deliver on commitments under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

They also called for predictability and transparency of remittances of financing pledges, stressing the need for forward-looking, reliable financial information; and highlighting inconsistent reporting by developed countries, the lack of a clear definition of climate finance, and the need for stronger monitoring systems.

Also demanding better access to funds, many groups called for simpler procedures, more direct access for vulnerable countries, and improved efficiency across operating entities and climate funds.

Part of the collective call dwells on central role of public finance as all groups emphasized that public finance remains essential, especially through grants and concessional support. They said private finance cannot replace public commitments and depends on strong public contributions to create enabling conditions.

On more adaptation finance, the groups pointed at the need to increase support for adaptation, with most countries calling for a major shift toward balancing mitigation and adaptation or even allocating most of the new finance to adaptation.

They stressed that climate support must be aligned with national priorities. According to them, climate finance must match the needs and plans of developing countries as expressed in NDCs, NAPs, and national strategies.

All groups stressed equity and the obligations of developed countries under Articles 9.1 and 9.3. They reiterated that developing countries cannot be expected to deliver higher ambition without adequate means of implementation.

Speaking for the G77 and China, Iraq said climate finance remains the core priority for the Group. It argued that the USD 300 billion annual goal is still far below the needs of developing countries and urged developed nations to scale up support, remove systemic barriers in the global financial system, and ensure transparent and timely contributions to climate funds. The Group also called for tripling the outflows of the UNFCCC’s operating entities by 2030.

India, speaking for the Like Minded Developing Countries, said access to finance at scale is the decisive factor for progress on climate action. It called for stronger replenishments of climate funds, more grants and concessional finance, and better reporting under Article 9.5. The Group criticized the new collective quantified goal, saying it lacks clear commitments from developed countries and leaves key obligations under Article 9.1 unaddressed.

Saudi Arabia, for the Arab Group, said both the quality and quantity of finance are essential. It stressed that public finance under Article 9.1 should serve as the foundation for mobilizing additional resources and argued that climate finance remains concentrated in the global North. The Group said at least 75 percent of the USD 300 billion target should go to adaptation and warned that the private sector cannot replace public support.

Bangladesh, speaking for the Least Developed Countries, said climate finance is a matter of survival. It called for regular assessments of progress and more clarity on what counts as climate finance. The Group encouraged developed countries to prepare a joint delivery plan toward the 2035 goal and asked for grant-based support for adaptation and loss and damage to avoid adding to debt burdens.

Belise, for the Alliance of Small Island States, said vulnerable nations need predictable and scaled-up support to plan their responses to climate impacts. It urged developed countries to provide standardised forward-looking information, simplify access to climate funds, and triple global adaptation finance by 2030. AOSIS also called for stronger regional channels and faster small-grant mechanisms to speed up resilience work.

Costa Rica, on behalf of the Independent Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean States, said countries cannot plan climate action in the face of uncertain finance flows. It called for a monitoring system to track progress toward the USD 300 billion annual goal and for a common framework for forward-looking finance information under Article 9.5.

Denmark, speaking for the European Union, said consistent climate finance is essential for stronger global climate action and trust. The EU welcomed the new goal as a framework for scaling up finance from public and private sources. It reaffirmed support for a balance between adaptation and mitigation and said all Parties must work together to implement the goal and strengthen domestic investment strategies.

The central demand shared by all the groups points to the need for developed countries to massively scale up predictable, transparent, and accessible public climate finance, delivered in line with their obligations under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. They made it clear that climate finance is necessary for developing countries to implement their climate plans.