By Kawtar Zerouali, Yabanex Batista, Melissa Tipping and Damiano Borgogno

COP30 will be remembered not only for its dramatic setting on the edge of the Amazon rainforest but also for its focus on implementation. Underscoring the world’s urgent need for accessible, effective climate finance, the United Nations Capital Development Fund sought to play a role in shaping conversations, convening partners, and demonstrating what practical, investable climate finance solutions can look like for the world’s most vulnerable communities.

After returning from the Belem, one thing is clear: climate action only works when finance reaches the people and places on the frontlines. The last mile—high-risk markets and vulnerable communities—is where implementation truly happens. And that is exactly where UNCDF is focused.At COP30, we advanced and showcased partnerships that demonstrate how blended finance, local finance mechanisms, and nature-positive investment pathways can translate global commitments into results for Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and other fragile contexts.

We shared how our partners and programmes are moving from pledges to pipelines, and from pipelines to investments—whether through local adaptation funds, blue economy mechanisms, or innovative financing models to tackle themes that are inextricably linked with the climate crisis, like peace and security or sustainable food systems.

More details on UNCDF’s COP30 participation are available here

Solutions for scale

The Amazonian location of COP30 naturally put ecosystems and biodiversity at the centre of global attention. UNCDF leveraged this moment to highlight the financial innovations needed to protect vulnerable natural assets, secure food systems and build peace even in a more fragile world.

It was in this spirit that UNCDF joined the Climate High-Level Champions, UNEP, UNDP, and the International Coral Reef Initiative Secretariat in elevating one of the conference’s most forward-looking conversations: how to move from advocacy for ocean protection to a true investment agenda for coral and coastal resilience. The Coral Finance Roundtable—held under the auspices of the COP30 Presidency—helped set the stage for a dedicated coral summit in 2026, marking a shift toward turning commitments into investable pipelines.

UNCDF reinforced this momentum by joining the Ocean Action 2030 Coalition, a milestone that reflects our growing role in shaping financing pathways for a sustainable ocean economy. For SIDS and coastal nations, this coalition represents a critical step toward mobilizing the scale of resources needed to protect marine ecosystems while strengthening economic resilience.

Our engagement confirmed continued donor and country support for the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, LoCAL+, and its enhanced approach to mobilize private capital for local-level adaptation, building on a strong foundation of public grant-based support. This concept resonated deeply with the COP30 agenda, which emphasized implementation, equity, and locally led adaptation. The broad endorsement affirmed the growing recognition that local adaptation requires not just more financing, but smarter financing—designed for scale, predictability, and long-term impact.

Strengthening global partnerships for scaled impact

COP30 also provided a platform for UNCDF to deepen cooperation with governments, donors, and multilateral partners. As well as collaboration with country partners on the climate change frontline. These partnerships reinforced the value of UNCDF’s on-the-ground presence and its ability to help governments structure adaptation investments that are technically sound, financially viable, and socially inclusive. These emphasized the need for significantly increased climate finance volumes, the importance of accessible and predictable funding, especially for adaptation, and the necessity of empowering local institutions to design and implement resilience solutions.

Looking ahead

UNCDF’s impact at COP30 lies in our contribution to the momentum towards more ambitious, more inclusive, and more locally grounded climate action. By shaping global discussions, building coalitions, and championing practical solutions, UNCDF sought to ensure that the priorities of LDCs, SIDS and populations in other fragile and vulnerable contexts remain central to the global climate agenda.

We sought to shift the conversation from how much climate finance is promised, to how it is delivered, who can access it, and how it builds resilience and stability on the ground.

Our commitment moving forward is clear: to use the insights, partnerships, and commitments forged at COP30 to accelerate the flow of climate finance where it is needed most—toward the communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, that are determined to adapt, innovate, and thrive.

UNCDF leaves COP30 with new partnerships, stronger country demand, and a clear mandate: to keep designing solutions that channel capital where risk is highest but impact is greatest—for people, for nature, and for peace.

Thank you—and onward from Belém!