CGIAR@COP30- Global Goal on Adaptation Track Negotiation Updates

As COP30 opens in Belém, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is a key track for CGIAR. Established under the Paris Agreement’s Article 7, the GGA aims to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability worldwide. After years of technical work – including the adoption of the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience at COP28, which set thematic targets for adaptation – negotiators at COP30 will finalize how to measure progress. This means agreeing on indicators that track how well countries are protecting people, ecosystems, and economies from climate impacts. With climate shocks escalating, a robust adaptation goal is crucial for accountability and finance. It’s especially vital for agriculture and food security, sectors highly vulnerable to climate change yet historically underprioritized in global climate agendas.

CGIAR has been deeply involved in shaping the GGA to ensure it reflects the realities of farmers and food systems. As climate impacts escalate, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is increasingly central to UNFCCC discussions. At CMA 5, Parties adopted the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, as part of the UAE Consensus. 

The framework includes 11 targets – 7 thematic and 4 dimensional targets – for climate adaptation and resilience. CMA 5 also established a two-year UAE – Belém work programme, on the development of indicators for measuring progress achieved towards the targets outlined in the framework, and Parties provided guidance on the structure and modalities of the work programme at SB 60. The modalities for the work programme integrate some of the suggestions in a submission  made by CGIAR and one led by partners through its Center – IWMI.

In 2024, the UNFCCC selected two CGIAR experts, Dr. Aditi Mukherji (CGIAR Climate Impact Platform) and Dr. Lucy Njuguna (Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT), to join a global team of 78 experts. This team is tasked with refining indicators across all 11 targets, ensuring that they are robust, inclusive, and scientifically credible for assessing adaptation and resilience. The full list of convened experts can be found here. Also find here the reports prepared by the technical experts supporting the work under UAE-Belém work programme on indicators.

Looking Ahead at COP30

During the negotiations, CGIAR will be watching that the two-year “UAE–Belém” work programme on GGA indicators culminates in an actionable framework. The hope is that Parties at COP30 adopt a set of indicators that are science-based and agriculture-relevant, allowing nations to gauge resilience in rural communities. CGIAR hopes that these metrics encompass outcomes like reduced crop loss, improved farm income stability, and greater access to climate information for farmers. A successful outcome will not only guide countries’ National Adaptation Plans but also inform donor priorities (e.g. directing adaptation finance toward food systems). With adaptation needs outpacing finance, clarity on global goals can galvanize support. CGIAR will continue bridging science and policy – for example, by offering tools to monitor adaptation progress – to ensure the GGA drives tangible resilience gains for smallholders and food systems. In Belém, CGIAR’s message is clear: an adaptation goal that works for agriculture is one that works for people and the planet. The stakes are high, and COP30 is the moment to cement an ambitious, inclusive roadmap for global resilience.

Day 2 – November 11 2025

Today, negotiations kicked off with Parties expressing their views on the indicators. There are different options, including the possibility of selecting a subset of indicators while agreeing to refine the remaining ones in future work. Another option is to concentrate specifically on adaptation finance instead.