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Climate Summit 2025: The path to COP30

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The summit, which takes place on 24 September at UN Headquarters, is designed as a launchpad for COP30 but, unlike the sprawling negotiations of a UN climate conference, this is a targeted high-level event where Heads of State, Government leaders, businesses, and civil society are expected to present concrete pledges and new national climate plans. 

‘Bold action for the next decade’ 

According to the organisers, the summit has a clear mandate: parties to the Paris Agreement – the landmark 2015 pledge to climate change treaty – must bring forward new or updated NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions, or pledges to take measures to address the climate crisis) that reflect “bold action for the next decade.”  

UN chief António Guterres has made it plain: existing pledges are nowhere near sufficient, and only a fraction of member states have up-to-date NDCs for 2025. Current national plans, according to the UNFCCC, would only cut global emissions by 2.6 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, a tiny fraction of the 43 per cent reduction that scientists say is needed to keep global temperatures to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 

The summit therefore serves as both a pressure point and an opportunity. Leaders are expected not just to restate commitments, but to announce new NDCs, show how they will be implemented, and highlight how they align with the accelerating clean energy transition. 

Floodwaters in Morigaon, India (file 2020)

Why Now? 

The urgency of the summit is sharpened by both scientific and political realities. The UN World Meteorological Organization reported that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures 1.6 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, the international political landscape has grown more fractured. 

The United States, which withdrew from the Paris Agreement in early 2025, remains one of the largest historical emitters. Its retreat from climate finance and clean-energy commitments has left developing nations questioning whether the promised flows of support will materialise. 

At the same time, real momentum exists. Clean energy investment topped $2 trillion in 2024, outpacing fossil fuels for the first time, and initiatives such as the proposed Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty are gaining traction. The summit will test whether these positive trends can be harnessed and scaled. 

Marcelo Camargo/Agência Brasil

Firefighters in the Pantanal, Brazil (file 2024)

Reading between the lines 

The Climate Summit is not a negotiating session, but its outcomes will set the tone for COP30 in Belém. Brazil has promised to centre that conference on climate justice, forest protection, and renewable energy. Yet success in Belém will depend heavily on what happens in New York this week. 

Observers will watch closely for three signals. First, will major emitters bring plans that close the emissions gap?  Second, is climate finance scaled up beyond symbolic pledges, especially for the Loss and Damage Fund (which has attracted just under $789 million in pledges so far, far short of what is needed)?  And finally, will leaders acknowledge that expanding coal, oil, and gas is incompatible with Paris targets?   

Without progress on these fronts, COP30 risks becoming another forum of unmet expectations. 

High stakes 

For the UN Chief, the summit is about more than process. It is about rebuilding trust in multilateralism at a time when global divides are widening and demonstrating that climate action can unlock economic and social benefits. “The opportunities of climate action have never been clearer,” the UN has stressed, pointing to job creation, health improvements, and energy security linked to clean energy expansion. 

Still, for communities in Pakistan and India displaced by destructive floods, or for farmers in the Horn of Africa facing drought, the summit is less about opportunity than survival. The gap between climate impacts and the political response has never felt wider. 

From words to action 

The UN Climate Summit of September 2025 is not a substitute for COP30, but it may prove just as decisive. It is the arena where leaders can reset ambition, inject credibility, and build momentum toward Brazil. 

If it can deliver bold new pledges, credible finance, and a clear direction on fossil fuels, it could help salvage the promise of Paris. 

Faith in finance: Indonesia’s innovative path to sustainable development

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The Southeast Asian country has already raised close to $12 billion in thematic bonds, including blue bonds and Islamic investment instruments over the last seven years.

These efforts have been supported by development partners, including the United Nations.

Putut Hari Satyaka, is the Deputy Minister for Development Financing and Investment at Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas). He spoke to UN News ahead of a key UN conference on financing for development which begins in Sevilla on 30 June.

UN News: How much money is needed in Indonesia to achieve the SDGs and what is your estimated funding gap?

Putut Hari Satyaka: The existence of an SDG financing gap remains a significant challenge, especially to developing countries. Indonesia is no exception. The financing gap to fully achieve all 17 goals and their targets remains significant. With an estimated $4.2 trillion needed for Indonesia to achieve the SDGs, there is a $1.7 trillion financing gap that is yet to be resolved.

Putut Hari Satyaka, Deputy Minister for Development Financing and Investment at Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas).

UN News: How can that gap be closed?

Putut Hari Satyaka:  We need an integrated and transformative approach, going beyond “business as usual”. For us, this means two things.

Firstly, we must enhance the use of public finances to be more efficient, resilient and transparent. This includes improving budgetary alignment with SDG targets, strengthening expenditure efficiency, and ensuring that resources are effectively prioritized and utilized for sectors generating spill-over transformative effects to sustainable development.

Secondly, we must be creative and innovative – meaning that we need to scale up the existing innovative financing methods and explore new ones. Some of the most prominent instruments and approaches are blended finance, thematic bonds and faith-based financing.

Indonesia has been making great progress in this regard. We have created an ecosystem of a wide range of innovative instruments, attracting a diverse range of stakeholders and entities, supporting necessary regulations, and developing the enabling environment to nurture the market.

UN News:  What is faith-based financing and what has been Indonesia’s experience so far?

Putut Hari Satyaka:  Faith-based financing, especially within the Indonesian context, refers to financial practices grounded in religious principles, most notably, in the principles of Sharia law in Islam.

Families in Ache, Indonesia, have received faith-based cash grants to make improvements to their homes.

As Indonesia has 241.5 million Muslims, 85 per cent of the population, and faith-based social financing like zakat and waqf have been a long-standing practice, deeply rooted in our society.

What is new is the allocation of these instruments towards the SDGs. Indonesia has made strong progress in advancing Sharia finance as part of its inclusive growth agenda.

Sharia financing is now growing by 14 per cent a year, outpacing conventional finance. We are also championing scaling-up, green sukuk, which is a Sharia-compliant bond specifically issued to finance environmentally friendly projects.

This reflects Indonesia’s strong commitment to building a competitive financial ecosystem for faith-based instruments, and we will continue to strengthen collaboration, drive innovation, and ensure that faith-based financing plays a central role in our economic development.

UN News: Are you able to raise new funding through these faith-based instruments? Critics sometimes say this is just another way to reach the same funds you could get otherwise.

Putut Hari Satyaka: Yes, we are. With the world’s largest Muslim population, there is a massive potential in channeling faith-based financing towards the SDGs.

In 2018, Indonesia issued the world’s first sovereign green sukuk, raising $1.25 billion to fund renewable energy and climate adaptation projects.

Between 2019 and 2023, the government raised approximately $1.4 billion through domestic retail green sukuk, engaging individual investors in climate financing. This demonstrates the strong potential of green sukuk, both domestically and internationally.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide the blueprint for a more equitable world.

 

We also see great potential in Islamic Social Financing. Indonesia’s zakat potential is estimated at between $18 billion and $25 billion per year. The actual collection remains below 5 per cent of that potential, so there is clearly a vast opportunity to strengthen social finance.

UN News: What lessons have you learned over the years and what advice do you have for national or subnational governments interested in faith-based financing?

Putut Hari Satyaka: Although we have made great progress in faith-based financing, we have much room for enhancement, improvement and even exploration. Here are a few potential lessons:

First and foremost, awareness raising is key. As many view faith-based financing also as community-based financing, society’s participation in these instruments starts with their understanding of their importance and the way the money will be used.

Secondly, we see that the close coordination and concerted actions of relevant stakeholders are crucial. Overlaps are unavoidable without proper coordination. It is coordination – including with subnational governments, where we see room for improvement in order to scale-up faith-based financing in Indonesia.

Finally, building trust takes time. Faith-based financing relies heavily on public confidence, both in the institutions managing the funds and in how the funds are used.

Just like many other financing instruments, we have learned that transparency, accountability and consistent communication are essential to earn and maintain that trust.

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New UN report charts path out of debt crisis threatening global development

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On Friday, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed launched a new report, Confronting the Debt Crisis: 11 Actions to Unlock Sustainable Financing.

She was joined by experts Mahmoud Mohieldin and Paolo Gentiloni, along with Rebeca Grynspan, Head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

A growing crisis

“Borrowing is critical for development,” Ms. Mohammed said, but today, “borrowing is not working for many developing countries, over two-thirds of our low income countries are either in debt distress or at a high risk of it.”

The crisis is accelerating, Ms. Grynspan warned.

More than 3.4 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education – 100 million more than last year.

Debt service payments by developing countries have soared by $74 billion in a single year, from $847 billion to $921 billion.

“The nature of this crisis is mostly connected to the increase of debt servicing costs,” Mr. Gentiloni explained. “Practically, the debt services costs doubled in the last ten years.”

Prepared by the UN Secretary-General’s Expert Group on Debt, the report reinforces the commitments put forward in the Compromiso de Sevilla, the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development – taking place next week.

A path forward

The report outlines 11 actions that are both technically feasible and politically viable.

Mr. Mohieldin explained that the recommendations fall under two key goals: providing meaningful debt relief and preventing future crises.

It identifies three levels of action:

At the multilateral level: repurpose and replenish funds to inject liquidity into the system, with targeted support for low-income countries.

At the international level: establish a platform for borrowers and creditors to engage directly.

At the national level: strengthen institutional capacity, improve policy coordination, manage interest rates, and bolster risk management.

“These are eleven proposals that are doable and that only need the political will of all the actors to be able to make them real,” Ms. Grynspan stressed.

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Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

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Since then, “there has been no end to the violence, even though thousands have been killed and thousands more injured,” said UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday, briefing the General Assembly.

“I have stressed consistently that without a ceasefire, a de-escalation of violence and a focus on the needs of the people, there can be no inclusive lasting peace,” she said.

Call for ceasefire

Having spoken with survivors among the rubble of homes, hospitals and schools, Ms. Bishop said they “wanted the fighting to end so they could live in peace,” as armed clashes continue to obstruct the aid and reconstruction effort.

Although some parties to the conflict have announced ceasefires, “they have largely not been observed,” she said.

Reiterating her call for an end to hostilities she said civilian protection “must be the priority and inclusive and sustainable peace a shared goal.”

Without and end to the violence she said Myanmar would continue on “the path to self-destruction.”

Contested elections

Ms. Bishop warned that unless there is an end to the violence and an inclusive and transparent electoral process, all that could result from any election – which the junta is planning to contest – would be “greater resistance and instability.”

“It is inconceivable how an election could be inclusive,” she said, with so many political leaders still being held by the regime.

Ms Bishop also reiterated the UN’s call for the release of all arbitrary prisoners, including democratically elected leaders Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Rohingya’s plight

With up to 80 per cent living in poverty, the situation of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority in both Myanmar and Bangladesh remains dire.

Caught in the crossfire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, Rohingya civilians in their historic homeland of Rakhine State are being subjected to forced recruitment and other abuse.

As aid dwindles, Rohingyas living in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar face real consequences, including cuts to food rations and education.  

“A viable future for Myanmar must ensure safety, accountability, and opportunity for all its communities, including Rohingya, and must address the root causes of conflict, discrimination and disenfranchisement in all its forms,” said Ms. Bishop. 

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Historic shifts offer Syria a path forward

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The United States, European Union and United Kingdom have taken steps to ease long-standing sanctions – moves that, according to UN officials, could pave the way for long-overdue progress on the political and humanitarian front, provided they are sustained and inclusive.

Speaking to the Security Council from the capital Damascus on Wednesday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen called the developments “historic,” highlighting their potential to improve conditions on the ground and allow a successful transition.

“They hold major potential to improve living conditions across the country and to support the Syrian political transition, giving Syrian people a chance to grapple with the legacy of misrule, conflict, abuses and poverty,” he said.

The sanctions, imposed mostly during the Assad era, have long been blamed for hindering economic recovery.

Regional powers including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Qatar are supporting renewed engagement, offering support to fund public salaries, energy infrastructure and Syria’s obligations to international financial institutions.

National political movements

The easing of sanctions comes amid significant domestic developments, with Syria’s interim government announcing last week the formation of two key bodies: the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for Missing Persons.

Both are seen as essential to rebuilding trust and addressing the legacy of enforced disappearances and war crimes that have scarred nearly every Syrian household, Mr. Pedersen said.

He urged continued steps to ensure that the new People’s Assembly is truly representative and that the rights and aspirations of women and girls are protected.

“Syrians also continue to look ahead to the envisaged future constitutional process, which needs to be inclusive of all social and political components in shaping a new social contract and paving the way for the free and fair elections as called for by [Interim Prime Minister] Ahmed al-Sharaa from the outset.”

Years of conflict have left Syria in a state of ruin and over 16 million of its people in need of assistance.

Crisis on the ground

Despite political momentum, Syria’s humanitarian crisis remains dire. Over 16 million people need aid and over half the population faces hunger, senior UN humanitarian Ramesh Rajasingham warned ambassadors.

Sectarian violence has deepened the crisis, displacing more than 670,000 people since November, among them 15,000 during a recent flare-up in Druze-majority areas of rural Damascus.

The situation has been further complicated by Israeli airstrikes, including near the presidential palace and during the unrest in Druze-majority neighbourhoods.

UN agencies meanwhile face a severe funding shortfall, having received only 10 per cent of a $2 billion appeal for the first half of 2025. Dozens of hospitals, community support centres and safe spaces for women – especially in the northeast and northwest – have already closed.

“The consequences are already visible and will become more so as time passes and as funding cuts take hold,” said Mr. Rajasingham, who is the Director of Coordination at the UN relief wing, OCHA.

Seize the moment

Both officials stressed that lifting sanctions must lead to tangible progress in recovery and stability.

“The Syrian people have taken heart from the fact that the decisions to lift sanctions give them a better chance than before to succeed against great odds,” Mr. Pedersen said.

“They are looking to the interim authorities to seize this moment and push towards a fully inclusive transition…and to all of us to do our part as genuine partners in support.”

Geir Pedersen (on screen), UN Special Envoy for Syria briefs the Security Council on the situation in Syria.

US implementing sanctions relief

Speaking for the United States, John Kelley, Political Coordinator at the US mission, said government agencies are beginning the process of sanctions relief and restoring diplomatic ties with Syria.

He called on Syrian authorities to take bold steps and show sustained progress on the clear expectations the US has communicated.

This includes, removing foreign terrorist fighters, cooperate with the US and partners to prevent resurgence of ISIS detention facilities, and making peace with Israel through the Abraham Accords.

“We continue to urge the new government to choose policies that will reinforce stability, protect human rights of all Syrians, ensure peace with Syria’s neighbours, develop Syria’s economy and become at long last a responsible member of the international community.”

Syrians uniting for future prosperity

Riyad Khaddour, Syria’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, told ambassadors in New York that his country is committed to becoming a nation of peace and partnership – not a battleground for conflict or foreign ambitions.

“As countries in the region and beyond extend their hands to Syria, Syrians themselves are uniting across all factions, rejecting extremism, terrorism, and hate speech,” he said.

Mr. Khaddour noted that Syrian institutions are committed to international standards, working to improve the investment climate and advancing economic reforms.

He hailed the lifting of sanctions as a long-awaited turning point, adding that it offers “real prospects” to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and accelerate recovery.

“Syrians have welcomed it with great hope, seeing it as a first step towards restoring normal life, reviving the economy, ensuring food security and returning to the path of sustainable development.”

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Stuck in the middle? Indebted nations plot path to growth amid global trade upheaval

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The High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries (MICs), held on 28 and 29 April, was attended by senior representatives from 24 MICs, many of which are highly indebted, leaving them little room for spending on developing their economies.

Since 2000, only 27 countries transitioned from middle income to high-income status, and many have experienced reversals back to middle-income level: 11 nations switched back and forth at least once before reaching their current high-income status.

“The transition of middle-income countries to high-income status while meeting sustainable development ambitions calls for the bolstering of financing for development,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the opening of the event. “This calls for domestic policy reforms aimed at expanding fiscal space, maintaining debt sustainability and channeling resources towards productive investments.”

The Makati Declaration on Middle-Income Countries calls for the UN to support MICs in accessing development financing, including via innovative financing mechanisms, and to provide support in a number of areas, ranging from programs and initiatives to mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis to digital transformation and making countries more resilient to global shocks (see full list of measures below).

Delegates at the High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries (April 2025)

“We recognize that middle-income countries experience frequent growth slowdowns, and if left unaddressed, this loss of economic dynamism can cause countries to get stuck in what is referred to as the “middle-income trap,” the Declaration states. “We stress that middle-income countries continue to face specific challenges related to, inter alia, high levels of inequalities, low growth, persistent poverty, unemployment, loss of biodiversity, the adverse effects of disaster risks and climate change, reliance on primary commodity exports, high levels of external debt and the volatility of exchange rates and capital flows, and digital divide.”

MICs will strengthen cooperation among themselves and offer increasing resources under technical cooperation between countries in the global South, which could become particularly important given the recent reduction in development support from traditional donors of the global North.

“We are re-moulding traditional development partnerships as more MICs, including the Philippines, increase resources for South-South and technical cooperation,” said Enrique Manalo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines at the event. “This is a trend that, if scaled up, could potentially result in game-changing dividends for the global development system.”

The Like-Minded Group of MICs are “as champions of multilateralism,” he added. “Carving a steady path for all middle-income countries behooves us to support strongly an international rules-based order underpinned by equity and justice.”

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Security Council debates precarious path forward for a new Syria

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Four and a half months after the fall of the Assad regime, the interim authorities have begun taking formal steps towards political reform, the Security Council heard on Friday.

These include the formation of a broader, more diverse cabinet and initial plans to establish an interim People’s Assembly.

However, the process remains tenuous and incomplete, with many Syrians uncertain of their role in the country’s future.

Grave consequences of failure

“The challenges are huge, and the situation is extremely fragile,” UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told ambassadors.

“There is a need for much more political inclusion – and for much more economic action. With a sea-change on both these elements, the political transition in Syria can succeed. Without both, it likely will not – and the consequences would be grave.”

In his briefing, Mr. Pedersen emphasised that Syria’s new leadership must broaden political participation and enact measures that address deep-seated grievances, particularly after the March violence against mainly ethnic Alawite communities in their coastal stronghold.

Aid programmes risk closure

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Over 70 percent of the population is in need of aid and more than half face food insecurity.

Despite some local improvements, especially in parts of Aleppo and the northeast, humanitarians warn that funding shortfalls are threatening life-saving operations.

Joyce Msuya, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, underscored that “we need more funding to sustain this work, let alone scale it further.”

She noted that to date, less than 10 per cent of the funds required for relief efforts for the first half of 2025 have been received.

Hospitals, food distribution and essential services are at risk of collapse without immediate support, she warned.

A woman holds the new Syrian flag outside UN Headquarters in New York.

Syria’s new flag raised at UN

Earlier in the day, Syria’s new flag was raised alongside those of other Member States at UN Headquarters, as supporters gathered on Manhattan’s First Avenue.

The new three-starred flag – one more than the Assad-era banner – was used by groups opposing the old regime and its forces.

More to follow…

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