Minister O'Brien arrives at COP30 in Belém

Minister leads Irish delegation in advocating for progressive global climate action, sustainable finance, and practical outcomes to deliver energy affordability and climate resilience
 
Minister to co-lead EU’s negotiating team for adaptation with Minister Multala of Finland
 
Minister meets UN Assistant Secretary General Neto to discuss new UN Development Programme Project Office in Dublin
 
Minister Darragh O’Brien has arrived at Belém, Brazil for COP30. COP30 comes at a moment which has seen the multilateral system challenged. Ireland remains committed to multilateral climate action to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and champion progressive global climate action. Ireland comes to COP30 with credibility. We have a Climate Action Plan that sets out legally-binding sectoral emissions ceilings, and we’ve seen three successive years of emissions reductions. Emissions are now at their lowest in three decades despite a larger population and economy, demonstrating that economic growth and emissions reductions can go hand in hand.
 
Adaptation is central to Ireland’s national and international climate policy, and it is crucial that this COP also produces a strong adaptation outcome. Minister O’Brien has been asked by his Danish counterpart to act as one half of the EU’s Ministerial negotiation team for adaptation. He will be joined in this by Minister Sara Multara, Finland’s Minister of Climate and the Environment. The COP30 Presidency have been clear that they see adaptation as one of the primary deliverables for the COP, with the Minister’s role putting him at the heart of these crucial negotiations.
 
In one of his first engagements in Brazil, Minister O’Brien met with Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Bureau of Policy and Programme Support. Ireland will host a new UNDP Project Office in Dublin, dedicated to advancing sustainable finance – mobilising the capital that will power a fair, inclusive, and global green transition.
 
The UNDP Global Project Office for Sustainable Finance represents a landmark partnership between the Government of Ireland and the UNDP. Supported by €7.5 million in Irish Government funding over three years, the initiative showcases Ireland’s global leadership in mobilising and deploying sustainable capital to drive climate action - particularly in support of developing economies and the most vulnerable.
 
Speaking in Belém, Minister O’Brien said:
 
“For COP30, I want to bring a very clear, practical message: the outcomes must speak directly to citizens and businesses – in Ireland and internationally. Climate diplomacy is not an abstract exercise. To have legitimacy and meaning it must deliver energy affordability, resilience to extreme weather and opportunities for workers. I’m delighted to take up a role as an EU Ministerial negotiator for adaptation this year. The delivery of a successful outcome on adaptation is crucial to the success of the overall outcome here at COP30. For Ireland, adaptation has and always will be central to our international climate diplomacy. I look forward to working with the rest of the EU’s excellent negotiating team to secure an outcome that responds the urgency of the moment here in Belem.
 
“I’m also delighted to meet Assistant Secretary General Neto to discuss Dublin’s Project Office for Sustainable Finance. We see COP as a chance not just to negotiate, but to learn from others and to forge partnerships with those who can help further our agenda. Partnering with the UN Development Programme on this flagship initiative is one example of how collaboration can deliver meaningful outcomes, in this instance demonstrating how finance can underpin climate action, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
 
Assistant Secretary General Neto said:
 
“Locating the Project Office in Dublin reflects Ireland’s strong reputation as a trusted and principled partner, its financial-sector excellence, and its ability to translate ambition into action through policy, regulatory, and market innovation. The initiative also underscores Ireland’s longstanding commitment to supporting the most vulnerable countries and communities in addressing the impacts of climate change, while further strengthening its leadership in sustainable finance and its contribution to global climate and development goals.”
 
COP30 is an important part of Ireland’s preparation for COP31, at which Ireland will hold the Presidency of the EU and lead the COP negotiations on its behalf.
 
On 5 November, Ireland and its EU partners agreed their new Nationally Determined Contribution, in which they committed to reduce GHG emissions by 66.25–72.5% by 2035. This target confirms our collective commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement and to the global efforts that underpin it. Ireland looks forward to working with EU and global partners to ensure that COP30 in Belem delivers a balanced outcome that puts the world on track to keep warming below 1.5C.