AWF Statement on UNFCC COP30 Outcomes

As the UN Climate Conference COP30, a summit positioned as 'the COP of adaptation' concludes, negotiations advanced Global Goal on Adaptation indicators and the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap toward USD 1.3 trillion annually by 2035. These key outcomes reveal a persistent gap between Africa's climate leadership and international investment at the scale required. Africa arrived as a strategic player with a strong Africa Group of Negotiators who have been meeting over the past few months at several regional convenings to ensure the continent shows up with a unified voice. 

According to the UNEP Adaptation Gap 2025, Africa needs USD 51 billion annually for adaptation, but received only USD 12.9 billion in 2023. The recommendation is that at least 70% must be grants or concessional funds, an arithmetic that is backed by concrete African-led solutions already delivering results

What Was at Stake?

Adaptation Finance: Negotiations on tripling adaptation finance tested international commitment. While Least Developed Countries (LDCs) called for USD 120 billion annually by 2030, debates centered on whether this constitutes a new target. For Africa, adaptation indicators remain meaningless without adequate, grant-based financing.

Forest Finance and IPLC Leadership: Brazil's Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) launched with USD 5.5 billion, committing 20% directly to Indigenous peoples and local communities. The Congo Basin sequesters approximately 4% of global carbon emissions annually — a service provided by communities protecting these landscapes for generations. TFFF's direct allocation model must become standard.

Just Transition: Africa's rangelands cover 43% of the continent and offer extraordinary renewable energy opportunities. As global demand for Africa's critical minerals accelerates, just transitions require rigorous social and environmental risk assessment alongside technology transfer enabling African governments and institutions to lead sustainable extraction and renewable deployment. Therefore, African governments and communities must hold decision-making power and technical capacity.

From Belém Forward

AWF welcomes progress on the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap and TFFF's 20% IPLC allocation. However, critical gaps persist. For example, adaptation finance was not addressed with clear commitments, the fossil fuel transition roadmaps also remain unresolved, and the issue surrounding the inequities within multilateral development banks remain unreformed, with African countries holding only 6.5% of IMF voting rights despite stewarding global climate assets.

In conclusion, with a median age of 19 years, Africa's young population positions the continent to lead climate innovation for decades. AWF's work demonstrates what becomes possible when African governments and communities hold secure rights and direct resource access through landscape-level restoration, sustainable rangeland management, watershed conservation, and nature-based enterprises building resilience while maintaining ecosystem function.

Therefore, the path forward requires a set of deliberate actions that operationalize adaptation finance commitments factoring in the proposed 70% as grants. It also requires scaling direct funding to African governments, communities, and IPLCs that will lead to the acceleration of African government-led renewable energy planning in conservation landscapes. Additionally, reforming the financial architecture to reflect Africa's role as solution provider is integral to the implementation of National Determined Contributions (NDCs) with strategies proven to deliver climate mitigation, adaptation, and development co-benefits.