COP30: Collaboration with the Global South

Recommendations

• Strengthen partnerships between business, research institutions, and public authorities to develop climate-adapted technologies and local competence.
• Increase access to, and reduce risk associated with, financing for projects in low- and middle-income countries, particularly through innovative financial schemes and public–private partnerships.
• Promote open platforms for sharing knowledge, data, and best practices – so that countries in the Global South can adopt the most effective solutions without repeating past mistakes.

Current situation

Many low- and middle-income countries have limited access to capital, technology, and expertise necessary for a just green transition. At the same time, these countries are often the hardest hit by climate change and the most dependent on natural resources under pressure. Without targeted support and inclusive cooperation, the world risks reinforcing inequalities between the Global North and South.

Several sectors are particularly important for collaboration with the Global South – both because they have large emission-reduction potential and because they are directly linked to development goals.

The food system accounts for around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, and many low- and middle-income countries are major producers and exporters of food. At the same time, food security in these countries is threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss, and inefficient transport.

The energy sector is often characterised by limited access to clean energy, which hampers health, education, and economic development. This applies to infrastructure related to both production and distribution, at national and local levels.

The health sector is vulnerable to climate change and requires robust, emission-free solutions – particularly in cooling, transport, and energy supply. Plastic pollution is an increasing problem, and many countries lack systems for collection and recycling, while being hardest hit by plastic waste in the environment.

Solution

The solution lies in building strong, inclusive innovation networks that combine global knowledge with local experience. This encourages the development of fact-based, context-specific policy options that drive sustainable actions and effective implementation. By investing in technology transfer, education, and sustainable industrial development, we can create genuine transformative power in developing countries while also contributing to global emission reductions.

Cooperation should focus on key sectors where climate and development intersect:

Food systems: Investments in climate-friendly production, controlled cold chains, and reduced food waste can yield substantial benefits.

Energy sector: Local production of renewable energy and energy-efficient solutions will have immediate benefits for those with the least access, while centralised solutions promote industrial value creation at the national level. Both contribute to significant emission cuts and progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and actionable National Determined Contributions.

Health sector: Cooperation can foster resilient health systems capable of withstanding climate change while reducing emissions. This includes using climate and environmental data to predict climate-driven disease outbreaks and strengthen preparedness for climate-related crises (e.g. logistics for medical supplies), ensuring access to clean energy for health institutions, climate-friendly medical equipment, sustainable waste management solutions, and telemedicine that reduces transport-related emissions.

Plastic waste management: Circular models and technologies for collection and recycling can reduce emissions and environmental pressure.

It is crucial to build upon financing and cooperation models that have already proven effective, promoting open knowledge sharing, local capacity building, and inclusive innovation. At the same time, we must ensure that countries in the Global South have the opportunity to leapfrog the carbon-intensive stages of industrialisation that characterised development in the North. Experiences from high-income countries show that short-term, fossil-based growth creates long-term environmental costs that must not be repeated.

Projects in the Global South should therefore be designed to achieve multiple benefits simultaneously: reduced climate impact, conservation of natural resources, strengthened local economies, and improved living conditions. When climate efforts are closely linked to development goals, results can be more lasting and more equitable.

COP30 should therefore emphasize fair technology development and financing – enabling all countries to take part in the transition without repeating the mistakes of the past.