Background

COP29 concluded with limited progress on adaptation and a contentious compromise on finance. The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of $300 billion annually by 2035 fell short of expectations, lacking a dedicated adaptation subgoal and raising concerns about the accessibility, quality, and equity of funding. Similarly, the Adaptation Fund and Loss and Damage Fund received minimal pledges, while key agenda items were deferred to SB62 in June, in Bonn. The final Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) decision included means of implementation indicators but the technical and procedural nature of negotiations failed to propel advancements in adaptation ambition and action. 

Despite these setbacks, adaptation finance has emerged more clearly than ever as a political priority for vulnerable nations, with COP30 in Belem offering an opportunity to address these gaps. The "Baku to Belem Roadmap" targets $1.3 trillion annually by 2035, but achieving this will require stronger political commitment, enhanced funding mechanisms, and better integration of adaptation into broader financial and development frameworks. Strengthened multilateralism through EU-Africa cooperation and strategic diplomatic efforts will be vital for advancing the adaptation finance agenda.

Looking ahead, 2025 offers several critical policy moments to shape the adaptation finance landscape and bolster multilateral cooperation. Key opportunities include the African Union (AU) Summit (including the election of the AU Commission’s senior leadership), the AU-EU Ministerial and the 5th Finance in Common Summit in Cape Town (February), the African Forum for Sustainable Development in Uganda (April), the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville (June–July), the second African Climate Summit (September) and the Second World Summit on Social Development in Qatar (November). These events must be leveraged to close gaps, foster partnerships, and deliver meaningful outcomes for the most vulnerable communities, amidst geopolitically challenging times.

This online roundtable discussion will provide a platform to examine the outcomes of COP29 for the adaptation and climate finance agenda from both European and African perspectives. It will also mark the beginning of a series of dialogues and convenings throughout 2025, fostering momentum and collaboration in the lead-up to key policy milestones that year.
 

Agenda

12:00-12:01 - Welcome and introduction
Hanne Knaepen, Head, Climate action and green transition, ECDPM

12:01-12:06 Keynote
Ali Mohamed, Kenya's Special Climate Envoy and the Chair of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN)​​​​​​​

12:06 -12:45 - Session 1 - Climate adaptation finance
Moderator: Katherine Browne, Team Leader, International Climate Risk and Adaptation, SEI
Speakers: 
- Mithika Mwenda, Director, PACJA
- Martha Bekele, Co-founder of Development Transformations (DevTransform)
- Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, Senior Advisor, Adaptation and Resilience, UN Foundation

12:45 - 13:25 - Session 2 - Climate adaptation diplomacy
Moderator: Hanne Knaepen, Head, Climate action and green transition, ECDPM
Speakers:
- Peter Wittoeck, Head of Department Climate Change, Belgium
- Chiara Martinelli, Director, CAN Europe
- Julius Ngoma, National Coordinator at Civil Society Network on Climate Change, Malawi
- Julien Desmedt, Policy Officer for Sub-Saharan Africa, DG CLIMA, EC 

13:25-13:30 - Conclusion & next steps
Katy Harris, Senior Policy Fellow, SEI and Director, Adaptation without Borders