The Fourth International Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) in Seville will convene critical discussions about how to reshape the global financial architecture in an era of converging crises. As we grapple with persistent development challenges and the escalating impacts of climate change, this conference presents a vital moment to re-evaluate how climate and development finance intersect. Read More
2025 June Climate Meetings. UNFCCC/ Amira Grotendiek
Next week, the international climate community will convene in Bonn for the 62nd session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (June 16-26, 2025), or SB62. SB62 marks a critical milestone on the road to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, shaping the preparation and setting the stage for the negotiations.
The meetings in Bonn will be guided by a central principle set by COP30 Presidency: the idea of “global mutirão,” the power of collective action to achieve goals no single actor can accomplish alone. Brazil has launched this initiative to identify common ground across regions and sectors, finding areas of convergence that can drive ambitious climate action forward. The Presidency has underscored the urgent need for this collaborative approach, particularly at SB62, to rebuild the multilateral trust strained during COP29 and by widening geopolitical rifts.
Answering the global call for climate action, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is putting the spirit of “mutirão” into practice. At its core, EDF’s “mutirão” is already in our DNA. We play a unique role working with partners and allies across society – from local communities, major companies, Indigenous Peoples, governments and more – to find the shared goals that lead to groundbreaking solutions. Embracing collaboration and partnership has led us to impactful wins for planet and people: from supporting Indigenous Peoples’ participation in UN spaces to conserve forests, to gathering national oil companies together under an ambitious goal to slash methane emissions. Our commitment to this inclusive approach is essential for rebuilding the global trust needed for swift, fair, and ambitious climate action that delivers.
Here are the thematic issues and topics EDF will be actively engaged in during SB62:
Belém, Brazil. Flickr/ Egoiano
By Juan Pablo Hoffmaister, Associate Vice President, Global Engagement and Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund
As the global climate community sets its sights on COP30 in Belém, Brazil, we stand at a decisive moment for international climate action. Election outcomes in the US, Europe, and elsewhere are reshaping the landscape of multilateralism, finance, and aid. The upcoming conference is more than just another annual climate gathering – it’s a pivotal opportunity to recalibrate and push the world toward meeting its 2030 climate targets.
As we prepare, it’s worth reflecting on key points from COP30 President-designate, Ambassador André Aranha Corrêa do Lago’s recent statement to the UN General Assembly and the Letter addressed to UNFCCC Parties. His vision underscores why this conference must be a turning point to bend the curve on emissions and increase climate resilience.
COP16.2 plenary in Rome
This blog was authored by Milloni Doshi, Project Manager, Global Engagement and Partnerships and Annie Mark, Senior Director, Global Partnerships.
The 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) concluded in Rome with what is being hailed as a historic global finance plan to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at COP15 in 2022.
The first of its kind in the biodiversity space, this financial plan was the subject of tense discussion and remained unresolved after the first session of COP16 in Cali, Colombia. Parties diverged on the funding mechanisms needed to mobilize at least 200 billion USD a year by 2030. Colombia’s COP President Susana Muhamad reconvened the Parties in Rome for a three-day sprint – referred to as COP16.2 – to resolve the outstanding issues from Cali.
Amid the nuances of the text, EDF sees three key reasons for optimism, and three opportunities to strengthen this endeavor as we look ahead to COP17 and the 2030 targets. Read More
The UN climate talks in Baku delivered a new agreement on climate finance (the New Collective Quantified Goal, or NCQG), but it falls short of what science and justice demand. The headline target — mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually by 2035, with developed countries providing $300 billion— is only a fraction of what’s needed. For context, developing countries require an estimated $5.1-6.8 trillion through 2030 alone to address the climate crisis.
Achieving these targets requires immediate action, well before 2035. With climate impacts accelerating and vulnerable nations already facing severe challenges, we need to build momentum quickly toward and beyond these goals. The Baku agreement takes important steps in recognizing critical climate finance quality issues —such as high borrowing costs and limited access— and provides a framework for addressing them. The launch of the “Baku to Belém Roadmap” needs to be a pathway for making near-term progress, particularly on reducing the cost of capital and improving access to finance.
The work didn’t end in Baku. As we look toward COP30, the international community faces a critical challenge: rapidly scaling up both the quantity and quality of climate finance to unlock urgent climate action. This will require immediate, concrete steps from developed nations, international financial institutions, and the private sector to deliver resources at the speed and scale the crisis demands. Success depends on rapidly translating these commitments into action through strengthened international cooperation and innovative financial solutions. Read More
B4 FLRD Board meeting opening by Mrs. Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Secretary of Environment & Natural Resources of The Philippines. Photo credit: Government of the Philippines
The newly established Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) represents more than just another funding mechanism – it’s an opportunity to reimagine how climate finance can work better for countries already experiencing the extreme impacts of climate change.
As the Fund prepares for its “start-up phase” in 2025, it has the potential to address longstanding quality issues that have kept climate finance from making positive climate impact, which are more important than ever as the international community gets for COP30 and to triple finance to developing countries, from the previous goal of USD 100 billion annually, to USD 300 billion annually by 2035 and secure efforts of all actors to work together to scale up finance to developing countries, from public and private sources, to the amount of USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035.
Here’s how: Read More
