COP30 presents the roadmap for the next steps in climate action.

COP30 President Andrea Correa do Lago presented the conference's Roadmap on Wednesday, December 5th. This document, common to all conferences regardless of location, aims to define a roadmap with steps, deadlines, and targets for countries to implement, between conferences, the decisions adopted in climate negotiations. It guides how and when each action should occur, including emission reduction targets, climate finance, updating NDCs, and monitoring mechanisms. In essence, it is the 81-page practical guide that ensures the execution and monitoring of global commitments made in the fight against the climate crisis.

Titled “Baku to Bethlehem Roadmap for $1.3 Trillion,” the document stems from a clear lesson: when science warns, humanity must act. The report points out that humanity learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. The epidemic showed that, in the face of a crisis, the world can mobilize resources quickly—more than $1.3 trillion was released in a few months to protect lives and economies. Now, with the planet facing a climate emergency, the same capacity for cooperation can and should be used to respond to the climate crisis in a fair, equitable, and supportive way. “The impossible can happen,” he said during a press conference.

Several high-level reports produced within this process over the years have analyzed possible instruments, channels, and mechanisms for expanding climate finance to developing countries from all sources, and have presented recommendations and frameworks for action to be implemented. “Although we have been at this point before, it is worth highlighting what makes this moment different,” Lago pointed out. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, global warming is a reality, as are climate changes. The world is in a state of emergency, and responses need to be faster than ever. Based on the Baku Climate Unity Pact (COP29) and the consolidation of the Paris Agreement, the roadmap proposes a transition from a focus on negotiations to the coordinated delivery of concrete actions.

The plan shows that the global climate transition is already underway — with the rapid expansion of clean energy, the advancement of nature-based solutions, and low-carbon innovation transforming economies and societies. The goal is to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement by channeling US$1.3 trillion annually until 2035 through five financial pillars: replenish, rebalance, redirect, reform, and reconfigure, transforming scientific warnings into effective cooperation and tangible results.

CATALYST FOR A NEW PHASE The roadmap aims to be a catalyst for the next phase of climate action, demonstrating that the resources exist and that the time to act is now. It argues that climate finance is both planetary insurance and a smart investment in a sustainable future, with returns in jobs, innovation, and stability. With the goal of mobilizing at least US$1.3 trillion annually by 2035, the plan intends to boost NDCs (National Development Plans), and the Global Balance Sheet, guiding humanity toward real transformation—from promises to implementation—in a crucial decade of cooperation and prosperity in harmony with the planet.

The 2023 Climate Inequality Report and the IPCC show that carbon emissions are extremely unevenly distributed: the richest 10% of the world's population are responsible for almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions. The imbalance occurs within and between countries—there are large emitters in low-income nations and low-emitting citizens in rich countries. Thus, in addition to a matter of climate justice, there is also a point of efficiency: reducing emissions among the largest emitters would be faster and more effective.

Despite the challenges, the report highlights that the world is experiencing an unprecedented opportunity for sustainable and inclusive growth. The transition to clean energy—currently the cheapest option in many regions—combined with investments in adaptation, nature restoration, and health, can generate significant economic returns, reduce losses, and create jobs. The text argues that climate action should be seen not as a cost, but as a long-term prosperity strategy, essential for economic and social stability.

The urgency of the situation, technological advancements, and the maturing of the Paris Agreement make the present moment decisive. The text argues that the world needs a new climate finance roadmap capable of mobilizing capital on an unprecedented scale—at least US$1.3 trillion per year until 2035—to support developing countries. However, current economic conditions, high interest rates, and capital flight to wealthy countries create significant obstacles, deepening inequalities and limiting the responsiveness of the most vulnerable economies. The document proposes innovative financing mechanisms to reverse this scenario, such as carbon pricing, taxation on polluting sectors, redirection of fossil fuel subsidies, and greater participation from multilateral banks. It also advocates for strengthening climate funds and instruments to protect against loss and damage, especially for least developed countries and small island states. The goal is to align the flow of global capital with mitigation and adaptation targets, promoting a just, equitable, and sustainable transition.