Brazil has appointed Germany's Jochen Flasbarth, alongside Gambian minister Rohey John Manjan, to lead adaptation negotiations at COP30 and mediate between country blocs. Delegates aim to agree on measurable indicators—such as changes in food supply, disease spread, and heat-related deaths—to quantify adaptation needs. A UN "adaptation gap" report estimates developing countries will need at least $310 billion annually by 2035, prompting discussions in Belém about tripling current adaptation funding commitments. Other delegation leads include Egypt and Spain on emissions, and Kenya and the UK on finance.
Germany Named to Lead Crucial COP30 Adaptation Negotiations as Brazil Appoints Jochen Flasbarth
Brazil has appointed Germany's Jochen Flasbarth, alongside Gambian minister Rohey John Manjan, to lead adaptation negotiations at COP30 and mediate between country blocs. Delegates aim to agree on measurable indicators—such as changes in food supply, disease spread, and heat-related deaths—to quantify adaptation needs. A UN "adaptation gap" report estimates developing countries will need at least $310 billion annually by 2035, prompting discussions in Belém about tripling current adaptation funding commitments. Other delegation leads include Egypt and Spain on emissions, and Kenya and the UK on finance.
06:34 AM, 11/14/2025Environment
Belém, Brazil — The Brazilian hosts of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) have assigned Germany a central role in upcoming negotiations on adaptation.
Germany's experienced climate diplomat, Environment Secretary of State Jochen Flasbarth, was appointed to advance talks on adaptation together with Gambian Environment Minister Rohey John Manjan. The pair will also help mediate between diverse country groups as negotiators seek agreement on measurable indicators of adaptation need.
What negotiators are discussing
Delegates are working to define concrete indicators that would quantify how much adaptation different countries require. Proposed measures include changes in food supply and crop yields, the rising incidence and geographic spread of climate-sensitive diseases, water scarcity, displacement linked to extreme weather, and fatalities associated with heat extremes. These indicators aim to make adaptation needs more transparent and comparable across countries.
Huge demand for adaptation finance
A United Nations report on the "adaptation gap" estimates that developing countries will need at least $310 billion per year by 2035 to adapt to a warming climate — roughly 12 times the current international public finance available. Addressing these needs would involve large-scale infrastructure and technical measures such as building or reinforcing flood defenses, redesigning agricultural systems to withstand more frequent and severe droughts, and strengthening public health surveillance and heat-response systems.
In Belém, delegates will debate how to scale up adaptation funding from wealthier to poorer countries. Some proposals under consideration would roughly triple current adaptation commitments in recognition of the sharply increased demand.
Who else is leading talks
It is common at UN climate conferences for delegation leaders to shepherd specific negotiation strands. In the coming days, Egypt and Spain will lead discussions on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, while Kenya and the United Kingdom will take charge of the often-contentious finance negotiations.
Why this matters: Reaching a clear, measurable deal on adaptation indicators and scaled-up finance would help vulnerable countries secure the resources they need to protect food systems, public health, and infrastructure from mounting climate risks.