Adaptation will be a central issue at the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil’s Belem, with parties expected to agree on adaptation indicators and work to close the adaptation finance gap, UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell said on Tuesday.
“The road map to mobilise $1.3 trillion in climate finance will clearly be key at COP30. Let us be very clear: climate finance is not charity. It is vital for protecting every population and economy, and the global supply chains that every nation depends on for low-inflationary growth, and food and energy security,” Stiell said as he released a progress report on the national adaptation plan (NAP).
“On adaptation issues, but also more broadly, COP30 will be a key test of global solidarity,” Stiell said. He added that it must show nations are fully on board for climate cooperation and spur faster and wider implementation, leaving no one behind, and connect climate action to real lives everywhere to spread the vast benefits.
As of 30 September, 144 countries had initiated and launched the NAP process. As many as 67 developing countries, including 23 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 14 Small Island Developing States (SIDS), had submitted their NAPs to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the report said.
{{/usCountry}}As of 30 September, 144 countries had initiated and launched the NAP process. As many as 67 developing countries, including 23 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 14 Small Island Developing States (SIDS), had submitted their NAPs to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the report said.
{{/usCountry}}Since its inception, the NAP process has advanced, with countries laying the institutional, analytical, and informational foundations to strengthen resilience and integrate climate change adaptation into national and sectoral development planning.
In preparing their NAPs, most countries have undertaken comprehensive vulnerability and risk assessments at the national and sectoral level. They have identified key hazards such as droughts, floods, sea level rise, and temperature extremes. The assessments are helping these countries identify priority sectors for adaptation and actions necessary for adapting to climate change, the report said.
“Countries are embedding in NAPs the core principles of country ownership, inclusivity, gender responsiveness, and transparency, and are adopting whole-of-society approaches.”
The funding to implement these adaptation plans is a key concern. Under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, as of July 31, 2025, 144 proposals from 121 developing countries, including 38 LDCs, had been approved for funding to support the formulation of NAPs and other adaptation planning purposes.
As of 30 September 2025, 58 of the 67 developing countries with submitted NAPs had 116 single- or multi-country adaptation and cross-cutting projects approved for implementation under the GCF, comprising $6.91 billion in financing.
The report said countries are implementing the adaptation actions identified in their NAPs to address climate risks that align with the key thematic areas of the global goal on adaptation. Although these actions are largely fragmented, they are constrained by resources and capacity, and remain insufficient relative to escalating climate change.
“Support for the implementation of NAPs is provided through project-based interventions, and the absence of dedicated modalities to support full NAP implementation continues to slow progress. While the GCF continues to play a vital role in supporting adaptation efforts, total funding accessed for single-country adaptation and single-country cross-cutting projects by developing countries is uneven.”
Stiell said lives and livelihoods are being destroyed in every region of the world, and especially in the most vulnerable countries. “Adaptation is not optional. It is absolutely essential. It means protecting communities from worsening floods, droughts, wildfires, and storms. It also means protecting economies.”
He called adaptation far more than protecting human lives and economies. “It is about empowerment: enabling communities and countries to thrive despite a changing climate.” He said NAPs are key to unleashing the epic transformative power of investing in climate resilience. “They are the blueprints for stronger economies, more resilient societies, and faster progress right across the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals].”
Stiell said countries are developing detailed adaptation plans covering all sectors, but finance is a hindrance. “But there are also several worrying aspects of this report. It points to some persistent barriers that are holding back progress at the speed and scale that we need.”
Stiell said many countries still lack access to the funding. “Too often, they face complex approval processes, fragmented support, and over dependence on external expertise. It is clear from this report that the systems are increasingly ready, but the finance must flow right now. So this report could easily be sub-titled: ‘No more excuses, investors!’”
The focus on adaptation is important for India. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav said at the Pre-COP30 meeting in Brasilia last week that the conference should be the COP of adaptation.
“We should all agree on a minimum package of indicators from the UAE-Belem Work Programme [on the development of indicators for measuring progress achieved towards the targets], leaving some of the rest for further technical discussion as necessary.”
Yadav called for sending an inspiring message to the world that they are on the way to ensuring the safety and well-being of billions, leaving no one behind. “To ensure tangible outcomes in Belém, our focus must be on transforming climate commitments into real-world actions that accelerate implementation and directly improve people’s lives. The key lies in translating global policy commitments into practical, locally grounded solutions.”
On October 8, HT reported that India has finalised its first NAP, likely to be unveiled ahead of or at the COP30. The NAP and an update to India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) for the 2035 period are under review and expected to be taken up for Cabinet approval.
The NAP will be a flagship document covering all sectors and include projections for the financing needed to implement the plan.
Yadav told HT in an interview on the occasion of World Environment Day (June 5) that the NAP is a strategic initiative to enhance the country’s resilience to climate change impacts. He called NAP a major step forward in aligning adaptation planning with India’s national development priorities and global climate commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.