Bonn climate talks: Adaptation, just transition and ‘procrastination’

Most observers have deplored the slow progress achieved over 10 days of climate negotiations in Bonn – though some welcomed developments around climate adaptation and the just transition.

Ten days of mid-year climate talks came to an end last week without much progress on key issues such as the phase-out of fossil fuels, the renewable transition and nature-related commitments.

“I’m not going to sugar coat it – we have a lot more to do before we meet again in Belém,” concluded UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell at the closing plenary.

Progress around the Global Goal on Adaptation

Despite the slow progress overall, one of the highlights of the negotiations was an agreement on the framework on the Global Goal on Adaptation. The text agreed last week helps define “adaptation” and the indicators to track it – though it does not include details on who should provide or receive the financing (the biggest sticking point in negotiations).

The Least Developed Countries group – which suffers disproportionately from climate change, also asked for increased ambition as countries prepare to set a new financing goal now that the US$40 billion a year by 2025 target is reaching its deadline. Specifically, the group called for a tripling of 2022 adaptation finance levels by 2030.

Climate finance remains a sticky topic

Despite these calls, countries were unable to agree on an amount for the next phase of the Global Goal on Adaptation – a lack of consensus reflected across climate finance topics.

At COP29 last year, countries agreed to provide at least US$300 billion in climate finance by 2035 – a new collective quantified goal that was deemed largely insufficient – and “call for all actors” to scale up climate finance to the necessary US$1.3 trillion a year (the Baku to Belém roadmap). 

But this year, with the US defunding most of its climate-related activities and European countries also prioritising defence rather than climate funding, negotiations made little progress on how to meet these targets.

Marianne Lotz, WWF-Germany Climate Policy Advisor, said: "We wanted progress on the Baku to Belém roadmap to US$1.3 trillion, including its design and vision for what will happen to it after COP30. But some rich countries are cutting back on their climate finance commitments, making it more difficult to reach even the inadequate targets agreed in Baku last year. We are dangerously close to reaching a standstill.”

Just transition: 'Breakthrough' agreement

One bright spot in the Bonn climate talks, however, was the inclusion of civil society’s Just Transition priorities – which aim to leave no one behind in the sustainability transition – into official UN climate negotiations.

Tasneem Essop, Executive Director of Climate Action Network International, said: “Enough is enough. While bombs get billions and polluters are increasing their record profits, Bonn has once again exposed a system rigged to protect polluters and profiteers – complicit in a global order that funds destruction but balks at paying for survival.

“But even in this broken space, people’s power shone through. Due to the relentless pressure from civil society, the Just Transition fight finally made it into the formal process, laying the table for a win for workers, for communities, and for every person fighting to build a future rooted in dignity and hope. Decision-makers must come to Belém with the commitment to make this a reality. 

Countries also agreed to increase funding to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 10%, but they couldn’t come to a consensus on who should host COP31 after this year’s conference takes place in Brazil.