Mirian Gom 
UN Climate Chief, Simon Stiell speaks on urgent finance ahead of COP30 in Brazil
Oluwafunbi Bello
ABUJA, Nigeria – The United Nations Climate Change Chief, Simon Stiell, has called on countries to deliver a rapid surge in climate finance ahead of COP30, warning that developing nations remain dangerously underfunded to withstand worsening climate disasters.
Stiell, who heads the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), made the call in Brasília on Tuesday, saying funds must “flow right now” as the world prepares for the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil, next month.
“Extreme weather events such as wildfires, catastrophic droughts, and devastating floods are making life harder across the globe,” Stiell said. “Adaptation is not optional; it is absolutely essential.”
According to a new UN report released ahead of the summit, 67 developing nations have submitted National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), including 23 least developed and 14 small island states. However, a persistent funding gap threatens to stall implementation.
“These plans clearly outline national priorities and needs,” Stiell added, “and they should make it easier for investors to channel resources where they’re needed most.”
He emphasised that adaptation not only protects lives but “empowers communities and nations to thrive,” describing COP30 as a “key test of global solidarity.”
Negotiators are expected to focus on mobilising $1.3 trillion in climate finance to help vulnerable nations adapt to worsening storms, droughts, and floods — a target Stiell said must “connect climate action to real lives everywhere.”
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah 