“Adaptation is a major priority for us. I am pleased to announce that we will also contribute one million euros to the Adaptation Fund, even in 2025,” stated Maria da Graça Carvalho during her address, delivered in Portuguese, at the high-level segment of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).
In her speech, during the first of two days of this high-level segment, the Portuguese minister began by greeting Brazil, the host country of COP30, and noted that Portugal is one of the European countries most affected by climate change, facing extreme phenomena such as fires, coastal erosion, and floods, alternated with periods of water scarcity.
“That is why we expect this COP to deliver an ambitious package based on three fundamental pillars: mitigation, adaptation, and a just transition.”
In addition to the one million euros for the Adaptation Fund, established in 2001 and managed by the UN to finance concrete adaptation projects and programs in developing countries particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the minister added that Portugal will also contribute 200,000 euros for supplementary activities of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
These contributions are in addition to the already announced 1.5 million euros for the Lusophone Transparency Hub.
The minister emphasized, however, that “the main share” of Portuguese efforts in combating climate change is concentrated “in bilateral cooperation with Lusophone countries in Africa,” with ongoing projects valued at 113 million euros in the area of renewable energy.
“We have also developed, in recent years, projects with developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in the areas of environment, water, and climate valued at 18 million euros.”
Maria da Graça Carvalho particularly referred to the debt-to-climate investment conversion mechanism, already consolidated with Cape Verde and under development with São Tomé and Príncipe.
Emphasizing Portugal’s commitment to protecting the country’s forests and ecosystems, she praised Brazil for creating the Amazon Forever Tropical Forest Fund, recalling that “Portugal had the honor of being the first European Union country to join this effort.”
She also highlighted Portugal’s advocacy for the climate-ocean nexus, allied with biodiversity protection and conservation: “The ocean must play a significant role in combating climate change.”
COP30, ongoing until Friday in the Brazilian city of Belém, today inaugurated the ministerial plenary session, where ministers will now lead climate negotiations.
