Forging Africa’s path to COP30 and beyond

The document argues that the COP29 finance goal of US$300 billion is insufficient, covering less than 4.3% of projected global needs, and that Africa receives less than 3% of total global finance for developing countries. It highlights a critical imbalance where only 36% of Africa's climate finance is dedicated to adaptation. The brief calls for African nations to transition from passive actors to co-creators at COP30, advocating for the 'Baku to Belém Roadmap' to reach US$1.3 trillion and demanding that finance be grant-based, accessible, and channeled through African institutions. It also notes the negative impact of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the need for more inclusive participation for least developed countries in UN negotiations.

• The New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) established at COP29 of US$300 billion annually by 2035 is inadequate, meeting less than 4.3% of the projected needs of emerging markets and developing countries.
• Africa suffers from a severe lack of climate finance, receiving less than 3% of total global finance flows for developing countries, with only 36% of that amount allocated to adaptation.
• African countries face significant financial burdens due to climate change, spending nearly 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on responding to climate shocks.
• A substantial portion of Africa's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have been costed, with 57% in 2024 estimated to require between US$1.6 trillion and US$1.9 trillion over a five-to-10-year period.
• The Loss and Damage Fund has been operationalised with the World Bank as interim host and the Philippines as the host country, receiving US$768.40 million in pledges to date.
• Multilateral climate cooperation is currently hindered by procedural deadlocks and the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, which the document describes as the dismantling of the system the US helped build.
• Participation in COP negotiations is unequal, as least developed countries often send smaller delegations due to funding issues, visa restrictions, and limited expertise.

APA

Mkumbeni, K. (2025). Forging Africa’s path to COP30 and beyond. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1762345671223-Policy-Brief-210.pdf

Chicago

Mkumbeni, Kgaugelo. Forging Africa’s path to COP30 and beyond. Institute for Security Studies, 2025. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1762345671223-Policy-Brief-210.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mkumbeni |first1=Kgaugelo |title=Forging Africa’s path to COP30 and beyond |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=2025 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1762345671223-Policy-Brief-210.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mkumbeni2025forging, author = {Mkumbeni, Kgaugelo}, title = {{Forging Africa’s path to COP30 and beyond}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2025}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/pages/1762345671223-Policy-Brief-210.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }