Cop30 climate summit focuses on “climate-proofing” vulnerable nations as funding gaps persist

As the UN’s COP30 climate summit enters its final days in Brazil, developing nations are pushing wealthy countries to dramatically increase funding for climate adaptation—the crucial work of building infrastructure to withstand intensifying floods, droughts, and extreme weather. Currently, only 17% of international climate funding goes toward helping vulnerable countries prepare for climate disasters, while 64% focuses on reducing emissions.

The funding imbalance has become a central tension at COP30, where negotiators are discussing a proposal to triple adaptation funding from roughly $40 billion to $120 billion annually by 2030. This push comes as Bill Gates recently sparked controversy by calling for a “strategic pivot” away from global temperature targets toward preparing for climate change consequences—a shift many advocates worry could undermine emission reduction efforts.

The challenge has grown more difficult with the United States notably absent from high-level negotiations. Under Donald Trump’s second presidency, the U.S. has again withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and rolled back international climate funding, leaving the European Union and other developed nations to fill the gap. Meanwhile, developing countries like Costa Rica emphasize that without concrete financial commitments, climate frameworks remain “hollow.”

Beyond funding, negotiators are also working to establish up to 100 “adaptation indicators”—metrics to track how effectively countries are climate-proofing their infrastructure, from water systems to sanitation networks. As one Costa Rican official noted, “If you don’t have a baseline, you cannot measure the progress.” The success of COP30 may ultimately depend on whether wealthy nations can move beyond goodwill gestures to make binding financial commitments for the countries least responsible for—but most vulnerable to—climate change.