Why we show up at climate COPs: Bridging local reality with global ambition

In 2025, COP30 lands in Belém, Brazil — in the heart of the Amazon and a decade after the Paris Agreement. With global ambition under scrutiny, a central question hangs over this moment: Are promises translating into real resilience for communities on the front lines?

Amid this urgency, CGIAR and its 15 research centers help put science at the core of climate diplomacy. As the UNFCCC itself states, open participation “promotes transparency in this increasingly complex universal problem.” That is where CGIAR excels — translating local realities into global policy and global frameworks into action on the ground.

CGIAR researchers regularly contribute formal submissions to UNFCCC processes, feeding practical insights into high-level decisions. This work often leads to direct participation in thematic events and technical bodies.

One current example: scientists from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Alliance) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) helped shape the indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation. From thousands of options, negotiators are now narrowing a refined list — a milestone that brings the world closer to consistent, credible measures of climate resilience in agriculture.

Why does this matter? Because clear, robust metrics help unlock climate finance — directing resources to what actually works for farmers and food systems.

Alongside this, Alliance researchers are advocating for a clearer global climate finance architecture as countries operationalize the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap to 1.3T. By demonstrating how national policy can reduce investment risk in smallholder agriculture, they are helping open pathways for finance to reach farmers who need it most.

Through Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement — which supports voluntary cooperation beyond carbon markets — Alliance experts showcased a pioneering “nature for peace” mechanism in Colombia. It allows companies to invest in restoration and peacebuilding in conflict-affected areas through government-backed incentives.

The proposal received strong support during UNFCCC workshops, with an invitation to present again at COP30 — a clear sign of how locally led innovation can inspire global policy solutions.

Scientific engagement is not just about speaking in negotiation rooms — it is also about listening. These dialogues inform CGIAR’s technical assistance and ensure that policy support aligns with real-world needs.

This approach is already shifting power. With support from ILRI and the AICCRA program led by the Alliance, the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation has emerged as a leader representing smallholder farmers in climate negotiations. At recent UNFCCC workshops, EAFF President Elizabeth Nsimadala made a clear call: farmers must be co-designers of solutions, not passive recipients — and they need finance, technology and strong farmer organizations to get there.

Similarly, ILRI is helping ensure livestock-keeping communities — often overlooked or misrepresented — have a voice. In contexts where livestock provide nutrition, income, cultural value and even ecosystem services, policies must recognize complexity, not impose one-size-fits-all solutions.

At national level, CGIAR science informs climate planning. In Nepal, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is supporting the second phase of the Water Resilience Tracker, embedded in work to update and implement the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution. This effort is strengthening systems for climate finance and improving coordination across water and climate policies.

Across these examples, the model is clear: local evidence informs global rules, which strengthen national plans, which in turn support communities to adapt and thrive.

Through UNFCCC engagement — from structured workshops to formal submissions — CGIAR channels voices from farms, forests and watersheds into global climate arenas. And as demands grow for climate governance that truly values those most affected, CGIAR’s role becomes even more essential.

As the world heads to COP30, the mission is clear:
Turn global ambition into grounded action, powered by science and shaped by communities.