Tackling climate loss and damage: why COP29’s unmet agendas can’t be ignored

This piece was originally published on the IIED website.

At the COP28 climate summit in 2023, governments formally established the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to adverse climate effects. As the fund’s board is meeting this week in Barbados (8-11 April), Bushra Anjum and Afsara Binte Mirza from the International Centre for Climate Change and Development share their views on the roadmap for concrete climate action for the worst-affected countries.

The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat. It is a lived reality for millions around the world. Every year, over 20 million people are displaced due to climate disasters: a grim reminder that this is not some dystopian future but today’s harsh reality. 

As global emissions continue to rise at an exponential rate, collective efforts for climate action are inadequate and ineffective. Last year marked a critical threshold in the climate crisis, as temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The 29th United Nations climate conference (COP29), held in late 2024, made some progress but disappointingly fell short of tangible actions for climate-vulnerable nations and their people. The world now looks forward to COP30, taking place in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. 

COP30 aims to emphasise the bolstering of strategies for renewable energy transitions, forest and biodiversity conservation, while also advancing climate justice to address the social impacts of climate change.

Therefore, with mounting pressure to bridge the climate-finance gap for local communities, strengthen adaptation measures and phase out fossil fuels, COP30 has the potential to be a defining moment in global climate negotiations.

Scaling up finance for climate-vulnerable regions

The question of finance for countries on the forefront of the climate crisis will be key at COP30. COP29 – branded the ‘finance COP’ – sought to redefine the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) (PDF) by urging developed and emerging economies to mobilise US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

However, only $300 billion has been allocated for grants (non-repayable funds or financial aid provided by government or organisations) and concessional loans (loans with lower interest rates and longer repayment periods). Therefore, COP30 is a crucial moment to establish accessible, flexible, accountable and long-term financial mechanisms (PDF)that prioritise grants over loans for climate-vulnerable regions.

Due to slow and rapid-onset, weather-related events, local communities face loss of livelihoods, loss of biodiversity, mental distress, loss of infrastructure, social instability and other harmful impacts. So, it was positive to see that one of the key outcomes of COP29 was the progress in operationalising the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.

This is a fund for developing nations and their people who bear inevitable economic and non-economic climate-related loss and damage.

Through our work at ICCCAD, in Bangladesh, we have seen first-hand why addressing loss and damage in the most climate-vulnerable regions must be an urgent priority. COP30 needs to focus on how to enable easier access and disbursement of the loss and damage fund for the communities that need it the most.

Despite Sweden’s initial pledge of $19 million the fund remains woefully insufficient to meet the growing needs of local communities. As the fund’s board holds its fifth meeting next week (8-10 April), in Barbados, it is vital that concrete steps are taken to ensure that the fund is fruitful and fit for purpose.

The power of locally led adaptation

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) continued to gain attention at COP29, with discussions centered on creating an instrumental framework for adaptation finance, strategies and monitoring systems to ensure progress for climate-vulnerable communities. However, the GGA was unable to set a clear agenda.

At COP30, there will be growing urgency to establish contextual, localised and quantifiable adaptation targets that align with the urgency of climate impacts. Countries will need to negotiate sector-specific adaptation financing, particularly for agriculture, water security and resilient infrastructure, to protect communities facing the worst consequences of climate change. 

Additionally, COP30 presents an opportunity to integrate Indigenous knowledge and locally led adaptation efforts into global policy frameworks, ensuring that adaptation strategies are community-driven and context-specific.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s effectual commitment to Amazon conservation and Indigenous rights will be a defining theme at COP30, reinforcing the need for both implementation and monitoring-tailored climate policies that protect natural ecosystems and support the local leaders safeguarding nature. 

At COP30, greater emphasis needs to be given to financial mechanisms and global policy frameworks that can support climate justice issues, particularly concerning land rights and biodiversity protection.

COP30: a critical turning point

As the impacts of climate change intensify, COP30 represents a critical turning point in global climate negotiations. Key priorities include operationalising the loss and damage fund, ensuring that Nationally Determined Contributions align with the 1.5°C target, and advancing equitable access to climate finance for global South nations.

With Brazil’s leadership expected to emphasise Amazon conservation, biodiversity protection and stricter climate regulations, the conference offers an opportunity to amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who are the true stewards of the planet, nature and ecosystems.

COP30 must also provide strategic guidance and curate funds earmarked for the least developed countries and Small Island Developing States, to strengthen their capacity building efforts, build localised monitoring and evaluation frameworks and push for greater technology transfer from developing nations. 

Global leaders must go beyond the rhetoric of reducing emissions and commit to climate justice, resilience and accountability in economic development.

The main question is, can COP30 truly turn promises into reality for tackling the climate crisis? That remains to be seen.