The Commonwealth at COP30

A Commonwealth Secretariat delegation of international climate policy experts will attend COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference or 30th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP30, will be held from 10-21 November in Belém, Brazil.

United Nations Climate Change | COP30 Brasil

Looking ahead

As Brazil strives to become a global leader in the low-carbon economy, it's COP30 Presidency will position the country’s sustainability taxonomy — a framework that defines criteria for classifying projects as sustainable — as the basis for creating international parameters. The measure aims to bring greater security to green investments and prevent misleading practices such as greenwashing.

As the Commonwealth we will continue to advocate for international finance institutions to be fit-for-purpose, calling for affordable, accessible, and sustainable climate finance in the face of climate change.

Small and other vulnerable states deserve more

Environmental risks and vulnerabilities are growing. Climate change is a key driver of this growth, bringing more frequent natural disasters, droughts, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity.

These pressures worsen inequalities and lead to displacement, food insecurity and economic instability.

Real problems, real solutions

Our multidisciplinary work to support member countries on climate change includes programmes on climate finance, youth and gender, climate law, energy transition, land-based solutions, climate-resilient agriculture, human rights and ocean governance.

The Commonwealth and Climate Change brochure

Across our Commonwealth — from small island states to major economies, the response to environmental resilience must be one of determination.

Blog: Unlocking climate finance, from Pacific shores to African highlands
Blog: The Road to Belém – looking to Indigenous Peoples to protect our earth

The Commonwealth Secretariat: Events at COP30

Date/Venue	Title
10 Nov, 1730 –1900 Africa Pavilion	Unlocking Climate Finance: Perspectives from Banks in Africa and the Pacific
11 Nov, 1600 –1650 Moana Pavilion	Inclusive Adaptation Finance: From Planning to Investment
11 Nov, 1700 –1745 WGEO Pavilion	Advancing Net Zero: Sustainable Transitions and Green Futures across the Commonwealth
11 Nov, 1800 –1900 Congo Pavilion	From Risk to Resilience: Advancing Climate Action and Accreditation to Climate Funds; Perspectives from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific
12 Nov, 0900 –1000 SDG Pavilion	Planning for Prosperity and Climate Resilience: LLDCs
12 Nov, 1830 –2000 Side Event Room 8, UNFCCC Blue Zone	OFFICIAL UNFCCC JOINT SIDE EVENT Scaling Inclusive Climate Finance: Delivering the $1.3tn Roadmap for People, Economies and Nature
13 Nov, 1400 –1500 NDC Partnership Pavilion	Island and Inland Voices: Advancing Inclusive Adaptation in Grenada and Eswatini
17 Nov, 1100 –1200 Nigeria Pavilion	Advancing Gender-Responsive Climate Action: Nigeria’s Framework for a National Data Hub on Gender and Climate Information
19 Nov, 1130 –1230 Congo Basin Pavilion	Addressing Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss and Land Degradation in Africa through the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter
20 Nov, 0900 –1000 NDC Partnership Pavilion	Empowering Climate Leaders of Tomorrow: Advancing Green Skills and Higher Education to Drive NDC Action

Download the Commonwealth Secretariat: Events at COP30

We need to step up cooperation and action

At COP30, we will advocate for our member countries, especially small and vulnerable countries, to have improved adaptive capacity and reduced vulnerability to climate shocks, expanded and equitable access to clean and affordable energy, and the ability to more sustainably manage their oceans and natural resources.

Our Strategic Plan 2025–2030, sets out a clear and practical vision of how our work will lead to impact, with environmental resilience one of our three main areas of focus.

The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub

A real challenge to achieving net-zero is access to finance. Over the past ten years, our Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub and our advisers, posted around the Commonwealth and embedded in government departments, have worked with government officials to unlock more than US$500 million in climate finance and trained almost 4,000 officials to strengthen skills and build increased capacity.

The Commonwealth Secretariat delegation

Our delegation will lead on and participate in several events at Commonwealth member country pavilions as well as at the Africa Pavilion, Moana Pavilion, NDC Pavilion and more.

The Commonwealth Secretariat delegation will be:

following the negotiations

advocating for the interests of member countries, especially small and vulnerable states

exchanging knowledge and best practice

establishing and strengthening partnerships and networks, and

mobilising resources.

Official side event

On 12 November, the Commonwealth Secretariat will host its official side event: Scaling inclusive climate finance: Delivering the US$1.3T Roadmap for People, Economies and Nature.

Find us at Side Event Room 8, UNFCCC Blue Zone. The event starts at 18:30 – 20:00 GMT-3.

Follow us on X, Facebook and LinkedIn for more from COP30 in Belém. #CommonwealthForClimate

The main hashtag to include in all posts is #CommonwealthForClimate

Social media accounts

Key messaging

Our key Commonwealth messaging that you can tailor for your posts:

The decisions and the initiatives we undertake now at COP30 can help to accelerate a future that is equitable and empowering - with small and other vulnerable states at the centre, not the margins. 
Across the Commonwealth, we continue to push for more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including on blue carbon and marine renewable energy, so that we can get back on track to achieve the Paris Agreement and the critical 1.5°C goal. 
We work with our partners to mobilise climate finance so that our member countries get investment in renewable energy projects. This is how the Commonwealth leads the charge on unlocking the scale needed for a renewable energy revolution.

Introduction

Key messages, hashtags and links to share on social media during COP30, taking place from 11-22 November 2024.

COP30 glossary

Explore our glossary for a breakdown of common terms you will hear at COP30 - from the New Collective Quantified Goals (NCQG) to Loss and damage.

Download the COP30 glossary

Looking back

At COP29, we urged the international community to fulfil its promises to provide greater financial support to small island countries at the frontline of climate change.

This was also the rallying call at the very first Leaders' Summit of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on Climate Change, jointly convened by the COP29 Presidency and Commonwealth Secretariat.

Our official COP29 side event brought indigenous and local knowledge systems for Climate Action front and centre with a new short film that showcased the power of indigenous knowledge, especially when combined with Western science, to support sustainable livelihoods and economies in Guyana’s Iwokrama Forest. 

COP

Environment and climate change