The African Development Bank Group has underscored the urgent need for increased climate financing to support countries grappling with both conflict and climate shocks. The call was made during a COP30 panel session held on 12 November in Belém, Brazil.
Speaking at the event themed “Bridging the Gap: Making Climate Finance Work for the Underserved,” AfDB Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, Kevin Kariuki, highlighted the Bank’s efforts through its Climate Action Window, established in 2022 to channel resources to low-income and fragile states.
According to Kariuki, the Climate Action Window has already backed 41 projects valued at $322 million, mobilised an additional $1.6 billion in co-financing, and built an adaptation pipeline approaching $2 billion.
The side event was jointly organised by ODI Global and the UN Climate Security Mechanism (CSM), bringing together climate finance leaders, government officials and multilateral agencies to explore strategies for expanding access to climate funding for the world’s most vulnerable populations.
“We must ensure that climate finance benefits the most underserved populations, especially where security crises overlap with climate distress,” said Rebecca Nadin, Director of Global Risks and Resilience at ODI Global.
For conflict zones such as the Lake Chad Basin, climate financing has become a lifeline. Oumar Gadji Soumaila, Director General of Chad’s Special Environmental Fund, stressed that such investments are often “the only support they receive,” enabling communities to cope with insecurity and environmental degradation.
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The Climate Action Window — supported by contributions from Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland and Norway — dedicates funding exclusively to fragile, low-income and climate-vulnerable countries. Current allocations include:
- 75% for adaptation projects
- 15% for mitigation
- 10% for technical assistance
- 64% of adaptation financing provided as grants
Several African countries are also strengthening policy responses to climate-security challenges. Burkina Faso has adopted a national climate security framework, while the Liptako-Gourma Authority — comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — is working toward a regional framework expected by end-2026.
Fresh Commitments at COP30
The discussions in Belém provided renewed political momentum. Mauritania announced plans to join the climate security platform, while Germany, Italy, Croatia and others pledged new contributions to the UN Climate Security Mechanism to bolster support for countries facing overlapping climate and security crises.
The event also underlined the importance of national climate-security platforms as effective delivery channels for climate finance in fragile contexts, ensuring that support reaches those most at risk.
The Climate Security Mechanism — a partnership involving the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, UNDP, UNEP and Peace Operations — continues to lead global efforts to analyse climate-security risks and support countries in developing coordinated response strategies.