COP30 Heads to Belém With Adaptation in Focus as UN Warns Emissions Are Still Rising

Overview

• A new UNFCCC synthesis of countries’ transparency reports finds emissions rose 15.6% from 2005 to 2021 in a comparable set of nations and highlights a vast finance gap, with developing countries estimating needs of $3.4 trillion by 2030 versus $60.8 billion reported as received.
• Brazil’s organizers report 149 countries have secured lodging—exceeding the 132 threshold for validating decisions—while 37 are still negotiating, with private funds pledged to cover three-quarters of rooms for LDCs, SIDS and African delegations and two cruise ships adding about 3,900 cabins and up to 6,000 beds.
• The COP30 presidency is positioning this as a conference of adaptation, seeking agreement on common indicators and mobilization of financing to accelerate implementation for vulnerable populations.
• Scientific and monitoring data underscore the host city’s exposure to extreme heat, with Belém facing 212 days of extreme-heat conditions in 2024 and projections of roughly 222 such days annually by 2050.
• Subnational leadership will be spotlighted in a pre-COP Forum of Local Leaders in Rio from Nov. 3–5, including the C40 World Mayors Summit backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, where hundreds of mayors and governors aim to expand direct access to climate finance.