From Pledges to Action: The Case for Tripling Adaptation Finance at COP30

Statement by David Nicholson, Mercy Corps Chief Climate Officer

"As over 50 heads of state and government begin to gather in Belém, Brazil, for the COP30 Leader’s Summit, communities across the Caribbean—from Haiti to Jamaica, from Cuba to the Bahamas—are being forced to pay for climate disasters they did not cause. Just a week ago, Hurricane Melissa, the strongest hurricane ever to hit Jamaica, tore through the island and parts of Haiti and Cuba, leaving widespread flooding, power outages, and devastation. Over 70 people died in Haiti and the human toll in Jamaica is still unclear, but early assessments suggest recovery will take years, if not decades.  

"The storm laid bare that, despite the triggering of risk insurance mechanisms that will provide some cash relief, climate adaptation and resilience remains underfunded and underprepared, not only across the Caribbean, but around the world at a time when robust adaptation measures and funding couldn’t be more urgent.  

"All eyes will be on the Amazon this month as COP30 begins, with much attention focused on countries’ commitments to reducing emissions. Yet the Caribbean’s reality makes one thing painfully clear: adapting to an already changed climate is just as vital as cutting emissions. For millions across a wide range of ecosystems and geographies, adaptation is not a long-term ambition. It is a matter of life or death. 

"This reality was equally clear at COP27 following devastating flooding in Pakistan; at COP28 after record-breaking extreme heat across Asia and at COP29 after record wildfires in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. Can this COP be different, with more meaningful action to advance Adaptation? 

"Progress expected at COP30 includes finalizing indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a milestone that will help countries identify where investments are most urgently needed. However, this progress could remain purely theoretical without a corresponding commitment to adaptation finance. The question of funding for these efforts remains unanswered. 

"To deliver meaningful change, developing countries must unite behind a clear and sustained call for a new global adaptation finance target—one that reflects both the scale of the crisis and the urgency of response. The Least Developed Countries’ call to triple adaptation finance offers a pragmatic and powerful rallying point. 

"After decades of piloting adaptation solutions, we know what works. Mercy Corps’ programs, working in partnership with local communities, have demonstrated the impact of community-scale preparedness and resilience infrastructure investments in the Caribbean; the resilience gains from strengthening market systems and services for pastoral communities in the Horn of Africa; and the value of anticipatory action that combines information services with cash transfers.

"Tripling adaptation finance would enable these solutions—and many others—to scale at the pace required, while reducing the future costs of recovery and the growing burden of debt for vulnerable nations as they are forced to invest in recovery from extreme events. At the same time, developed countries must recognize their legal obligations under the Paris Agreement to provide predictable and adequate climate finance to developing countries. A renewed adaptation finance commitment would not only rebuild trust after the bruising NCQG process but also restore confidence that global climate negotiations can deliver for those already living the consequences of a warming world. 

"As momentum builds toward COP30, world leaders must seize the opportunity to ensure adaptation finance is adequate, predictable, equitable, and accessible, reaching those who need it most. Financing adaptation is not a favor—it is a responsibility owed to those paying the highest price for a crisis they did not cause."