Global Climate Action Urged by LDC Group Ahead of COP30
A two-day meeting of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group in Belem has emphasized the need for accelerated global climate action as the climate crisis intensifies. The pre-sessional strategy meeting, held on November 4-5, 2025, aimed to strengthen the group’s common negotiating positions ahead of the UN Climate Conference (COP30), which is set to begin next week.
Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division, who participated in the meeting, highlighted that the internal coordination among the 44 LDC nations focused on their shared priorities and advocacy points for the upcoming formal UN climate talks.
The LDC Group’s expectations for COP30 center on three core areas: climate finance, ambition for the 1.5C goal, and adaptation. The group is calling for a “clear roadmap” to scale up climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to meet the needs of developing countries. It stresses that such finance should primarily take the form of grants and highly concessional loans, particularly for adaptation and addressing loss and damage, to avoid deepening debt vulnerabilities.
Regarding post-2025 climate finance milestones, the LDC Group seeks to triple adaptation finance to at least $3 billion under the LDCF-Global Environment Facility (GEF-9) replenishment cycle. This, they say, would be a step toward meeting adaptation costs estimated at around $120 billion annually.
Key Priorities and Demands
According to Dr. Dhakal, the group also prioritizes progress on Just Transition, Fast-Start Finance for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), technology transfer, capacity building, and gender equality.
“Key LDC demands include tripling adaptation finance through grants, securing a minimum of $3 billion for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and implementing a comprehensive set of adaptation indicators with fast-track funding by 2030,” said Dr. Dhakal, who made a statement on behalf of Nepal.
Reaffirming Nepal’s commitment to align its development pathway with the 1.5C target and to advance nature-positive, resilient, and inclusive growth, Dr. Dhakal urged, “We call on the global community to establish special support windows for LDCs, recognizing our disproportionate vulnerability and limited resources. Our collective future depends on a climate-secure world where no nation is left behind.”
Highlighting the success of Sagarmatha Sambaad held in May, he added, “Our message to COP30 is crystal clear: the Baku-to-Belem roadmap must be realized at COP30. There is no alternative but to align ambition in both climate finance and climate action.”
Nepal has been consistently advocating for predictable, accessible, and grant-based climate finance, which is essential to build climate resilience amid rising losses and damages from climate-induced disasters.
Updated NDC and International Cooperation
The country has already submitted its updated Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), outlining clear priorities and actions to reduce carbon emissions. Dr. Dhakal said Nepal is urging other nations to match the “speed and spirit” of the Paris Agreement during COP30 in Belem.
The LDC Group has also emphasized the importance of implementing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance—an integral part of the broader $1.3 trillion roadmap through 2035.
The group reiterated its long-standing call for a clear definition of climate finance, arguing that the lack of a universally agreed definition undermines accountability and transparency.
It also called for urgent action on the NDC Synthesis Report, the First Global Stocktake, and the Mitigation Work Programme to keep the 1.5C goal within reach.
Pathway to 2035 Targets
In relation to the Baku to Belem Roadmap, the group demanded the development of a pathway to achieve the 2035 NDC targets, ensuring alignment with the 1.5C goal and continuous enhancement of ambition.
In view of inadequate global support for NDC implementation, the LDCs also urged “enhanced international assistance” to bridge the widening gap between pledges and actual delivery.