COP30

This paper assesses the Belém Adaptation Indicators adopted at COP30 under the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience to clarify strengths and gaps.

At the 2025 global climate summit, COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, one decision stood out with major consequences for Africa: countries agreed on a new set of progress indicators.

Ten years ago, the world celebrated a remarkable diplomatic achievement: the Paris Agreement. Yet this same year — 2025 — also marks another anniversary, one that receives far less fanfare but reveals a troubling truth about how we govern climate risks.

Across West Africa, rural farming communities are facing one of the hardest tests of our time. Climate change is no longer a distant scientific forecast. It is a daily experience that affects how farmers plant, harvest, store food and plan their futures.

The Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) is a group of non-state stakeholders advocating for integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) into intergovernmental policies, particularly in climate action.

In this episode of Risk in Context, the hosts discuss key takeaways from COP30, focusing on the implications and opportunities for risk managers navigating the complex challenges of climate adaptation and resilience.

This paper examines why locally led adaptation (LLA) has gained widespread policy support but minimal implementation at scale. It explores three potential scenarios for LLA by 2030 and charts pathways based on extensive stakeholder consultations.

Adaptation finance - money to help lower-income countries prepare for and live with climate change impacts - has lagged for years, with just $26 billion provided in 2023 (when hundreds of billions are needed annually).

As we approach COP30, the global climate summit, universities must assert themselves as leaders in environmental transformation. They are not only centres of learning but also engines of innovation, collaboration, and civic engagement.