UN Environment Chief Highlights Progress and Urgency as COP30 Concludes in Belém

Kathmandu – UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen said the closing of COP30 in Belém demonstrated that the Paris Agreement is functioning and delivering results, even amid global geopolitical tensions.

Andersen highlighted several key outcomes of this year’s conference, including the call to triple adaptation finance by 2035, the establishment of a Just Transition Mechanism to ensure inclusive benefits from the emerging green economy, and new dialogues on the role of trade and the protection of mountain ecosystems in climate policy.

“UNEP science and data reinforce the significant size of the challenge ahead, but equally reinforce that proven solutions exist and a pathway remains to meet our global commitments. No one is saying this will be easy or that we are on track. We must do much more, move much faster, and stretch our collective ambition even further. Countries should see their new national climate plans as a baseline to build on, not a ceiling for ambition. Keeping 1.5°C within reach requires us to accelerate the era of implementation at an unprecedented rate, so we can deliver the benefits people deserve: affordable clean energy, good jobs, clean air, and a safer, more resilient future for all. And as escalating climate impacts continue to spare no nation, we must finance better, implement, and prioritize adaptation efforts.

COP30 also underscored the growing global momentum to transition away from fossil fuels, continue efforts to halt deforestation, and advance major initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, which has reached US$6.7 billion in commitments. Andersen noted that progress is being driven not only by governments but also by Indigenous Peoples, businesses, cities, civil society, women, youth, and local communities.

She reaffirmed UNEP’s commitment to supporting all partners in fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement “for people and for planet.”