"Baku to Belém Roadmap" could be a key factor in climate action UN report

Baku to Belém Roadmap to 1.3T — this phrase, drawn from the latest Adaptation Gap Report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), captures the growing urgency to close the global climate adaptation financing gap ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

The report warns that developing countries are receiving less than 10% of the funds they need to adapt to worsening climate impacts, threatening lives, livelihoods, and entire economies, Caliber.Az reports.

According to UNEP, the “Baku to Belém Roadmap,” introduced at COP29 in Baku, outlines a plan to mobilise $1.3 trillion in public and private climate financing by 2035. The roadmap aims to support adaptation efforts and accelerate the global transition away from fossil fuels.

UNEP estimates that developing nations will require over $310 billion annually by 2035 to cope with extreme weather, rising seas, and other climate threats. Yet in 2023, vulnerable countries received only about $26 billion.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the widening “adaptation gap” leaves millions exposed to “ heatwaves, wildfires, floods or desertification.” He emphasised, “Adaptation is not a cost—it is a lifeline.”

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen called for urgent global action to increase funding without deepening the debt burden of vulnerable nations, stressing that investments made now will prevent far greater costs in the future.

The report notes some progress—most countries now have at least one national adaptation plan—but underscores that much more remains to be done. As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, the success of the “Baku to Belém” roadmap could prove decisive in shaping a fairer and more resilient climate future.

By Khagan Isayev