COP30 Summit Hears Pleas from Nations Hit Hard by Climate Change

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1353 EAT on Saturday 8 November 2025

Leaders representing countries experiencing some of the most severe consequences of the global climate crisis — including hurricanes, floods, and other extreme weather events — have urged the United Nations climate conference in Brazil, COP30, to adopt stronger and more immediate measures.

Delegates and heads of state have convened on the outskirts of the rapidly diminishing Amazon rainforest ahead of the conference’s official opening on Monday. Many are calling for renewed efforts to bridge the divide between developing nations, which bear the brunt of climate impacts, and wealthier countries that account for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions.

Another initiative discussed at COP30 seeks to establish a shared global carbon market, allowing countries that emit less than their assigned targets to earn credits, which could then be sold to nations exceeding their commitments.

Last year, wealthier nations pledged $300 billion to support poorer countries in addressing the widespread impacts of climate change. However, none of the funds have yet been disbursed.

Developing countries and international advocacy groups argue that the pledged sum falls far short of what is needed, pointing to a target of $1.3 trillion in combined government and private assistance to meet urgent climate adaptation and mitigation needs.

During Friday’s leaders’ meeting, Haitian diplomat Smith Augustin highlighted the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa on his country, noting that small island states have contributed the least to global climate change.

At the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, leaders from nations hit hardest by climate change called for urgent action and climate justice.

Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s vice president, warned that “a previously once-in-a-century cycle of extreme droughts alternating with devastating floods continues to wipe out lives,” referencing a deadly landslide that struck the East African country last week.

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley criticised the slow rollout of the loss and damage fund established at COP27 in Egypt, noting its capital remains under $800 million. “We must hold our heads down in shame,” she said, highlighting that Jamaica alone has suffered over $7 billion in climate-related damages, with Cuba, Haiti, and the Bahamas also heavily impacted.

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairman of the African Union Commission, said nations facing the worst impacts are not seeking charity but “climate justice,” emphasizing accountability from wealthier, high-emission countries.

Several leaders also criticised the United States, noting that under former President Donald Trump, climate change was dismissed as a “hoax,” the country has not sent an envoy to the talks, and fossil fuel production has expanded.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned this week that global temperatures are “very likely” to exceed the 1.5°C (2.7°F) threshold — the target set under the Paris Agreement — within the next decade.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told officials gathered near the Amazon rainforest that leaders can choose to lead or be “led to ruin.” He warned that “too many corporations are making record profits from climate devastation, with billions spent on lobbying, deceiving the public and obstructing progress, and too many leaders remain captive to these entrenched interests.”

Guterres stressed that overshooting 1.5°C may be unavoidable in the short term, “but what matters is how high and for how long.” He reiterated UN targets: global emissions must nearly halve by 2030, reach net zero by 2050, and move into net negative territory thereafter.

Credit to Aljazeera

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