African Bloc Warns COP30 Adaptation Targets Risk Becoming ‘A Burden’ Without Funding

The Africa Group of Negotiators has issued a firm warning at COP30 insisting that any agreement on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) must include ambitious, equitable and practical indicators and must be backed by guaranteed finance.

The bloc, representing nations most vulnerable to climate impacts says it will not be rushed into finalising adaptation targets without clarity on how the commitments will be funded.

Reacting to the group’s position, Teresa Anderson the Global Lead on Climate Justice at ActionAid International said African negotiators were right to be wary.

“The Africa Group has good reasons to be cautious about rushing to finalise adaptation indicators. There is still no certainty that there will be money available to implement the adaptation tasks they are setting themselves,” she said.

She warned that without concrete finance, the very mechanism meant to help frontline nations could instead place new pressures on them.

“The discussion about an adaptation goal was meant to support countries on the frontline of the climate crisis. But unless there is funding to do the work, the goal risks becoming a burden instead of a boost.” Anderson said

She pointed to the disappointing outcome of climate finance negotiations in Baku as a key factor behind the group’s skepticism.

“To be honest, the terrible climate finance outcome we saw at COP29 is the reason for this delay. We are reaping the bitter harvest from Baku, where rich countries’ refusal to provide real finance has taken the wind out of the sails of so many climate discussion,” she said

African negotiators have repeatedly argued that adaptation which includes measures such as flood protection, drought resilience and climate-proof infrastructure cannot be delivered without predictable, long-term financial support from wealthier nations.

With talks intensifying ahead of COP30’s final week, the Africa Group’s stance highlights a widening trust gap between developing nations and industrialised countries over climate finance commitments that remain unmet.