COP30 Update – November 13

COP30 Continues  

COP30’s fourth day saw a significant rise in momentum as climate, health and transition issues moved to the forefront. Brazil launched the Belém Health Action Plan, the first international climate adaption plan for health, and a coalition of philanthropies, led by the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, announced a US$300 million funding package for climate and health research. At the Brazil Pavilion, representatives from the United Kingdom and Germany joined their Brazilian counterparts to launch a coordinated call for a “road map” towards a global shift away from fossil fuels, with additional support from Colombia, Denmark, France, Kenya, and the Marshall Islands. On the negotiations front, country positions have begun to take clearer shape, with the G77 and China highlighting the need for a “just transition mechanism” and calling for stronger support for developing countries.

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Photo credit: Super Pollutant Action Alliance, Global Methane Hub, Clean Air Fund

Super Pollutants at COP30  

As we move towards the mid-point of COP30, food systems, waste management and urban cooling have all emerged as key entry points for fast, equitable emissions cuts. Across the COP venue, governments, city leaders, community organisations and technical partners highlighted how methane and other super pollutants sit at the heart of practical climate solutions, from preventing food waste, to transforming organic waste streams, to redesigning cities to withstand rising heat. The day’s announcements showed a common thread: proven measures are already available, and momentum is shifting toward large-scale deployment across regions and sectors.

A new initiative, the Food Waste Breakthrough, was launched by UN Environment Programme, aiming to halve food waste by 2030 and cut up to 7% of methane emissions. The initiative unites governments, cities, and civil society around preventing food from ending up in landfills, supported by US$3 million from the Global Environment Facility for a challenge fund for city and youth-led innovations across Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

At the event LOW-M Methane Partnership in Action: Scaling Equitable, Community-Led Waste Methane Solutions, cities highlighted the growing momentum behind waste-sector methane mitigation and the need to channel finance and support toward community-centred approaches. Speakers emphasized that waste policies can deliver far more than emission reductions, generating jobs, advancing social inclusion, improving air quality and strengthening food security through circular systems. Presentations from cities and partners showcased how multilevel collaboration, linking national frameworks with subnational implementation, is enabling jurisdictions to design and operationalize methane abatement plans.

A cross-regional set of examples demonstrated real progress on the ground. Cities including Florianópolis, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Quezon City and Bandung presented updates on their LOW-M portfolios, describing advances in source separation, composting, anaerobic digestion, black soldier fly systems, and landfill mitigation. Several cities, such as Lagos, Rio de Janeiro and Santo Domingo, have now finalized methane reduction plans, with others nearing launch. Speakers stressed that identifying methane reductions helps municipalities unlock climate finance in a sector that has historically lacked investment.

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Photo credit: Super Pollutant Action Alliance, Global Methane Hub, Clean Air Fund

Elsewhere, UNEP and the Cool Coalition launched new initiatives to address rising extreme heat and expand sustainable cooling solutions. The Beat the Heat Implementation Drive, unveiled with the COP30 Brazilian Presidency, supports cities in assessing heat risks and deploying passive, nature-based and high-efficiency cooling measures. At the same time, UNEP’s new Sustainable Cooling Pathway report warns that cooling demand could more than triple by 2050, but shows that smarter urban design, clean cooling technologies and integrated planning could cut cooling-related emissions by up to 64% and avoid US $43 trillion in electricity and infrastructure costs, while improving equitable access to safe cooling worldwide.

In Their Own Words

“The world wastes an unforgiveable amount of food each year, in every country, rich and poor. Reducing this food waste is key to addressing hunger and cutting methane emissions from landfills - decisive action to lower global temperatures, save money, and tackle food insecurity at the same time. The Food Waste Breakthrough is exactly the kind of big-hitting initiative we need to keep climate change in check and save nutritious food for those who need it.”

Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director

“If left unchecked, food waste could double its methane impact by 2050, threatening our climate and food security. But the solution is in our hands. By uniting governments, cities, businesses, and communities globally to halve food waste by 2030 and keep food out of landfills, we can cut methane unlocking bold climate action and propelling humanity toward a future where food shortage and waste are history.”  

Dan Ioschpe, COP30 Climate High-Level Champion

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Photo credit: Super Pollutant Action Alliance, Global Methane Hub, Clean Air Fund

In Case You Missed It  

New analysis by Climate Action Tracker (CAT) warns that the world is still heading toward 2.6 °C of warming this century, despite growing climate commitments. The report finds that global emissions continue to rise, driven largely by record fossil-fuel use, and that current national plans remain off the trajectory needed to keep 1.5 °C within reach. It also highlights widening adaptation gaps and increasing risks of irreversible climate impacts, underscoring the urgency of both rapid emissions cuts and strengthened near-term action.