The second day of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) pre-sessional meetings in Belém saw tense but determined negotiations as delegates sharpened their positions ahead of the UN Climate Summit (COP30). With pressure mounting on wealthy nations to deliver past promises, the 46-member LDC Group signalled it will enter COP30 with stronger unity and clearer demands on climate finance, adaptation, and implementation.
LDC Chair Evans Njewa urged member countries to remain ambitious and united, stressing that vulnerable nations can no longer bear the cost of delayed climate action. He called for tripling grant-based adaptation finance, including at least USD 3 billion for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).
Njewa also outlined several priorities for Belém, including a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of USD 300 billion, completion of the USD 1.3 trillion Baku–Belém Roadmap, and a defined pathway to keep the 1.5°C target within reach by 2030. He underscored the urgency of finalising a global definition of climate finance, operationalising the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, and ensuring that adaptation indicators include clear, measurable implementation mechanisms.
“We cannot afford another decade of pledges without delivery,” Njewa warned, noting that delays have already imposed severe economic and human costs on LDCs.
Youth leaders are also stepping forward. Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, stressed that LDCs are “demanding justice, not charity,” adding that climate finance must be new, additional, predictable and accessible—delivered as grants to communities on the front lines of the crisis.
One notable moment of the day came from South Sudan, which announced it had secured a USD 50 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Praising the achievement, Njewa urged other nations to follow suit. South Sudan’s Undersecretary Joseph Africano Bartel called the approval “a crucial step toward climate resilience.”
As the Belém meetings continue, LDC negotiators say the message is clear: unity, ambition, and delivery must define the road to COP30.
