Day 10 of COP30: Accelerating Implementation

Day 10 focused on the last group of COP30 themes discussed on the 19^th and 20^th of November. These themes built on those discussed during Days 8 and 9 which focused on building resilient ecosystems and agricultural practices to reinforce health and food systems. The themes discussed included:

Women’s Empowerment

It was noted that resilient systems are built on the balance of their core components. Therefore, to strengthen communities, women must feel empowered to share their lived experiences with climate change, as well as the solutions they have already developed and implemented.

During the event “Integrating Women in the Fight Against the Climate Crisis and in Building Resilient Societies”, speakers introduced:

• Brazil’s Protocol for Promoting the Leadership of Women and Girls in Climate Emergencies and Disasters, under the Plan for Accelerating Solutions (PAS)

• A gender-responsible framework for disaster prevention, response, and recovery

• The mobilisation of multilateral and interministerial cooperation for implementation and financing.

• The strengthening of South-South collaboration and local women’s leadership in resilience-building.

Land Degradation and Food Systems

As discussed on Day 9, our food systems are directly dependent on the resilience of our land. The degradation of our soils has been a source of concern with estimates suggesting that we only have 60 harvests left. Although this figure is widely debated, it carries an important message: we must acknowledge that our food systems are not currently sustainable and solutions must be brought forward.

As a result, land degradation was spotlighted during a High-Level Ministerial Event, which launched the RAIZ Initiative to restore degraded farmland and integrate sustainability across global food systems. The day also saw progress in the decarbonisation of fertiliser through the Belem Declaration and PAS on Fertilisers which demonstrates how the right solutions can curb emissions while improving yields and farmer resilience.

Similarly, the event on “Scaling Up Practical Solutions for Resilient Agri-Food Systems” highlighted the need for farmer-centric initiatives to reduce agricultural super-pollutants, restore land, and accelerate access to inclusive climate finance. The event launched numerous investments and tools to support the RAIZ Initiative including:

• The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Agriculture Flagship which aims to reduce agricultural super pollutants through a farmer-to-farmer approach that promotes peer learning and knowledge sharing.

• And Germany’s IM-PACT support to the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership.

Both projects will start in 2026 with the common goal of improving the sustainability of agricultural practices.

Other initiatives launched during the day to strengthen food resilience include:

• TERRA, a Plan to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) which addresses barriers within family farming. It focuses on strengthening cooperatives and producer associations through improved access to public and private capital, to native seeds, biofertilisers, biopesticides, and adapted machinery.

• Two Plans to Accelerate Solutions to advance aquatic food systems and algae aquaculture were launched to address the resilience of coastal livelihoods and their food systems.

Climate Justice

Speakers from the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), a Nigerian Think Tank on environmental concerns and climate justice, spoke up about the climate crisis and its impacts in Africa. The main concern they raised was the negative impact the carbon market has brought forward in the fight against climate change including:

• Slowing down the transition to renewable energy

• Land grabs from indigenous peoples

• And improper compensation for communities affected by carbon credits projects.

REDD – Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation - is a UN Framework launched in 2005. Speakers viewed it as a “false solution at its core”, created without the consultation of the people who take care of the forests. Instead, it seems the creators of REDD were major polluters themselves and used the framework as a way to “make up” for their emissions. Currently, there are 188 REDD+ projects in Africa with reports showing compensation of as little as 2$ a day for the people who contribute.

Moreover, critics looked at the concept of monetising nature: how can we determine the value of entire ecosystems and their biodiversity? Simply put, we cannot and we should not. Which is why, they also critiqued the newly launched Tropical Forest Forever Fund which they described as a “rebranding of REDD”.

Speakers acknowledged the importance of protecting ecosystems and natural resources. However, negotiations around how best to protect them should include the people and communities who have been doing so for generations. We must also challenge the root cause: the system that enables the continuous combustion of fossil fuels, resulting in severe damage to our natural ecosystems severely damaged.

Alliance for the Implementation of National Adaptation Plans

In the evening of Wednesday the 18^th (Day 9), the Alliance for the Implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) was launched to accelerate large-scale implementation of climate change adaptation initiatives.

The platform aims to connect national governments, multilateral development banks, investment funds, and institutions from civil society and the private sector to reduce bottle necks that hinder adaptation progress. The objective is to streamline financial resources towards adaptation projects and vulnerable communities while mobilising international support and coordinating efforts across institutions.

Global Climate Action Agenda

In the afternoon of Day 10, the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies came together to close the Global Climate Action Agenda (GCA), a 5-year plan, to showcase results across implementation. The GCA involves six axis which are:

1. Transitioning Energy, Industry and Transport

2. Stewarding Forests, Oceans and Biodiversity

3. Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems

4. Building Resilience for Cities, Infrastructure and Water

5. Fostering Human and Social Development

6. And Unleashing Enablers and Accelerators including on Financing, Technology and Capacity Building.

The event recognised the 117 Plans to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) as a step towards accelerated action across multiple sectors. The agenda of COP30 was designed to discuss and accelerate past efforts established since COP21, aiming to coordinate initiatives into one framework – the GCA. So far, results show that six times more initiatives have reported measurable outcomes relative to the last COP, which demonstrates that implementation is accelerating and greater coordination is needed.

This agenda is also a result of the first Global Stocktake and the guiding priorities of COP30 and seeks to inspire and foster meaningful engagement and collaboration across businesses, subnational leaders, investors, and civil society committed to implementing climate solutions.

This global, multisectoral framework is expected to accelerate implementation through the coordination of national governments and non-state actors in line with the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake.

COP31 Presidency

Other news includes the conclusion of negotiations around which country will host COP31. Both potential hosts – Türkiye and Australia – were set on securing the presidency, with Australia’s campaign running for over three years. The agreement reached is that COP31 will be held in the city of Antalya in Türkiye, but the Presidency will go to the Aussies. As part of the deal, a pre-COP event inviting world leaders will be held in the Pacific.

Concluding Remarks

As we are nearing the end of COP, discussions have been focused on finding ways to execute solutions across all scales, communities, and sectors. Every nation and organisation present has promised to act in a way that is aligned with 1.5°C going forward. However, funding remains a massive bottleneck which is why initiatives such as NAPs and RAIZ are essential to improve coordination between governments, businesses, and financial institutions.

Moreover, by adopting a people-focused approach, today’s discussions have acknowledged our dependence on natural systems to feed people and curb global warming. Countries must promote regenerative farming practices to protect soil health and future harvests for future generations.

Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) are attending COP30 as official NGO Observer. This year we are attending in a virtual capacity, providing our members with direct reporting from the heart of the negotiations. We are committed to delivering daily insights and a comprehensive end-of-COP report to ensure you stay fully informed on the outcomes that matter to membership organisations and their members.

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