Climate adaptation: the urgency that gains space at COP30

July 30, 2025 / Melina Amoni

In recent years, adaptation to climate change has not taken center stage at the Conferences of the Parties (COPs). However, the expectation is that this scenario will change at COP30, which will be held in Belém in November. The reason is clear: global warming above 1.5°C and the intensification of extreme weather events are occurring faster than climate models predicted. The floods in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), in 2024, are an emblematic example. The social, economic, and environmental impacts have been devastating.

In addition to the immediate damage, there are growing risks to food safety. A recent study published in Nature points out that essential crops such as corn, soybeans, rice, wheat and cassava could suffer significant losses by the end of this century. The estimate is a reduction of up to 120 calories per person per day for every 1 °C of additional warming in the Earth’s average temperature — an alarming fact that highlights the direct impact on populations and production chains around the world.

Although mitigation actions – which are related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – remain fundamental, the current scenario requires governments and companies to also prioritize adaptation strategies. This means implementing measures that reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems to the already visible effects of the climate crisis, such as: the development of resilient urban infrastructure, more efficient early warning systems, and agricultural practices adapted to new climate conditions.

For these efforts to be conducted effectively, there are some challenges, and the financing of adaptation projects is the most addressed, especially when we talk about developing countries. And it makes sense that it should be so. The actors of the climate agenda have sought ways, despite the impasses on who pays the bill, through mechanisms, such as the Loss and Damage Fund.

Climate adaptation indicators

But I would like to draw attention to another essential point: the difficulty in developing adaptation indicators. Indicators are important because they bring standardization and make it possible to monitor the progress of plans and goals. Unlike greenhouse gas emissions, which are more easily accounted for and have solutions that can be replicated globally, adaptation actions are more specific and have a more local character, which makes it difficult to measure and scale.

In order to address the issue, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) was established in the Paris Agreement in 2015, with a focus on promoting more effective, measurable and monitorable adaptation actions, covering both the public and private sectors. To operationalize it, the UAE-Belém Work Programme was established, which aims to develop indicators and methodologies to measure the goals established in the GGA. The expectation is that the Program will advance at COP30, with the definition of up to 100 indicators that will point to the progress of adaptation actions at different scales.

It is worth remembering that the adaptation agenda is not the exclusive responsibility of governments. Companies, financial institutions and other private entities play a key role in managing climate risks, financing projects and developing innovative solutions. By acting, they simultaneously protect their assets, people, and the environment.

After years in which mitigation and adaptation were treated as separate agendas, COP30 promises a more integrated approach. The letters from the president of COP30, André Corrêa do Lago, already signal this change in attitude, promoting a practical and collaborative vision between the Parties regarding the two themes.

To address the climate crisis in a structured and fair way, it is essential that public and private issues and actors are together in the negotiation rounds. The adaptation finally begins to occupy the space it deserves.