COP30 in Belém marked 10 years since the Paris Agreement and its legally binding international treaty on climate change, declaring its overarching goal of limiting ‘temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.’[i] The first full NDC stock take since 2015 revealed that while ambition persists, current commitments still put the world on track for ~2.5°C warming, underscoring the need for fast-tracked action.[ii]
Science is clear: cutting emissions alone won’t suffice. We must also safeguard and restore nature’s ability to absorb carbon.[iii] Forests, oceans, and other carbon sinks are indispensable for climate stability, and restoration cannot offset the loss of existing carbon-absorbing ecosystems.
President Lula called for a “Global Mutirão,” urging humanity to unite in a global mobilization against climate change. This COP was thus branded the “Action COP,” with the intention to step into concrete implementation. The Amazon backdrop emphasized the proximity to nature and Indigenous inclusion.
Finance sits at the core of this acceleration. Unlocking capital for decarbonization and biodiversity projects requires addressing a critical barrier: information asymmetry between investors and developers of transition-aligned initiatives. COP30 underscored the need for structured, transparent, and comparable data to bridge this gap and channel funds toward impactful climate solutions.
The shift from ambition to action
The COP30 events were marked by their focus on operational implementation, emphasizing the need to move from ambition to action. Delegates repeatedly stressed the urgency of accelerating progress, driven not only by the stark warnings of science, but also by the current observation of the intensification of extreme weather events, such as floods, forest fires, typhoons, and droughts - currently well observed by all, including the insurance sector and companies with global operations.
Forests, wetlands, and marine ecosystems act as natural carbon sinks, yet their destruction continues at an alarming rate. Restoration initiatives, while valuable, are too slow to offset the damage caused by deforestation and ecosystem degradation. The challenge is clear: achieving climate goals requires unprecedented levels of investment in relevant, effective projects, as well as systemic change. A key to unlocking this change, which became a recurring discussion point, was the need to ensure capital flows to efficient transition initiatives, calling on a theme called “climate finance.” However, the identification of such projects in a systematic and scalable manner remains complex for investors.
Structured disclosure: The key to climate finance
One of the greatest obstacles to scaling climate finance is the lack of standardized, comparable information. Investors - across banks, insurers, asset managers, and public institutions - struggle to identify which projects genuinely align with sustainability goals. Many initiatives look promising on paper but lack consistent data to verify impact, creating uncertainty, slowing capital flows, and increasing the risk of greenwashing. COP30 emphasized that businesses must quantify their climate and biodiversity impacts, dependencies, risks, and opportunities, then integrate these into financial forecasts and decision-making. The economic case is clear: renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive, while climate inaction drives rising costs from extreme weather, sea-level rise, and supply chain disruptions.
Collaboration and innovation: Closing the gap
Collaboration emerged as another critical theme at COP30. No single entity can drive the transition alone. Multi-stakeholder engagement is essential, bringing together businesses, policymakers, NGOs, and communities. Grassroots movements and indigenous initiatives demonstrate the power of collective action, inspiring hope for systemic transformation. Corporate leadership is also stepping up, often in the absence of strong national policies, driven by the economic benefits of sustainability.
Yet challenges remain. Companies struggle to access high-quality, localized data on nature and biodiversity, which is critical for informed decisions. Fragmented policies and the absence of cohesive global frameworks add complexity. Valuing ecosystem services - such as water regulation and pollination - remains underdeveloped, despite their trillion-dollar contribution to humanity. Integrating these values into business models could unlock new pathways for sustainable finance.
Innovation also offers a way forward. Technological advancements - from hurricane-resistant solar panels to regenerative agriculture techniques - are driving practical solutions. Data modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) can help structure vast amounts of information, making it easier for investors to identify credible projects. Harmonizing reporting standards and investor requirements will fasten decision-making, enabling capital to reach projects that deliver measurable impact. In that sense, new frameworks such as ISO Net Zero, SBTi 2.0, the ISSB S1 and S2 standards, and other industry initiatives aim to close this information gap by guiding companies toward more uniform, credible disclosure practices. Such frameworks will help investors gain confidence and scale up capital flows to projects that deliver verifiable impact.
Finally, the topic of water emerged as a core pillar of resilience for cities and industries. Concepts like “water positive” and “renewable water” are gaining traction. COP30 highlighted technologies such as desalination, water reuse, and atmospheric water harvesting. Businesses should embed water stewardship into climate strategies to boost resilience and sustainability.
The path forward
Despite daunting challenges, COP30 offered hope.
Investors reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable projects, driven by both environmental responsibility and economic logic. Climate-related disasters already impose material costs on businesses and insurers, making prevention not just ethical but financially sound.
The summit underscored a simple truth: closing the information gap is critical to unlocking the trillions required for climate action. Professionals who structure and interpret data – including accountants, engineers, data scientists, and AI experts - will play a pivotal role. When decision-ready information flows seamlessly, confidence grows, capital moves, and action accelerates.
- UNFCCC, ‘The Paris Agreement’, UNFCCC website, n.d., accessed 27 November 2025, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement.
- UNEP, ‘New climate pledges only slightly lower dangerous global warming projections’, UNEP website, 4 November 2025, https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/new-climate-pledges-only-slightly-lower-dangerous-global-warming.
- Johan Rockström, Tim Beringer, David Hole, Bronson Griscom, Michael B. Mascia, Carl Folke and Felix Creutzig, ‘We need biosphere stewardship that protects carbon sinks and builds resilience’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 15 September 2021, https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2115218118
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