COP30: Mozambique’s President calls for environmental justice for vulnerable nations, highlights climate finance needs

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COP30: Mozambique’s President calls for environmental justice for vulnerable nations, highlights climate finance needs

12:37 CAT | 07 Nov 2025

Photo: Presidency of the Republic of Mozambique

The President of the Republic, Daniel Francisco Chapo, defended yesterday (6 November), in Belém, Brazil, during the plenary session of the 30th Edition of the Summit of World Leaders on Climate Action (COP30), “bold and transformative” global decisions to face the climate crisis, emphasising the need for fair and accessible financing for the most vulnerable countries.

The Head of State warned of the urgency of multilateral action, highlighting that “the time to act is now” and that Mozambique requires more than US$37 billion to achieve full climate resilience.

Quoting Pope Francis at the start of his speech, the Mozambican President reinforced the critical nature of the moment the world is facing: “The time to seek global solutions is running out. We will only find suitable solutions if we act together and in agreement.” He said the meeting must be treated as a priority, because it concerns “our common home, Mother Earth.”

The statesman thanked the Government and people of Brazil for organising the conference and highlighted the symbolism of holding the meeting in the heart of the Amazon. “We are gathered in the lungs of the planet,” he stated, adding that Belém should inspire decisions that ensure sustainable exploitation of global ecosystems.

President Chapo described an international scenario marked by interlinked crises such as conflicts, extreme weather events, migratory flows, and stagnation in development financing. “These challenges demand more than words; they require concerted action and renewed multilateral solidarity,” he asserted.

Furthermore, he recalled that more than three decades have passed since the Rio Summit and stressed that, although progress has been made, the pace of implementing climate commitments is insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5ºC. “Every fraction of a degree matters and every action or omission has real consequences,” he warned.

Regarding Mozambique, the President highlighted the country’s high vulnerability to climate change, recalling that cyclones Chido, Dikeledi and Jude “left a trail of destruction” and claimed more than 220 lives in the past two years. To achieve climate resilience, he said, the country needs approximately US$37.2 billion, an amount that “reflects the cost of adaptation, but also the hope of millions of Mozambicans.”

Despite the challenges, President Chapo highlighted national progress, including the Miombo Forest Preservation Initiative, the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), REDD+ programmes, and the approval of the 2025–2034 National Climate Finance Strategy.

“Our NDC revises emissions downwards by 50 per cent compared to the ‘business as usual’ scenario,” Daniel Chapo said, emphasising that Mozambique is open to cooperation and green investment.

The Head of State called for the fulfilment of climate finance promises, highlighting the Loss and Damage Fund, and requested greater accessibility to international financial mechanisms.

“Climate equity must recognise the right of African countries to development,” Chapo argued, reiterating the need for a just energy transition that allows sustainable use of natural resources.

Finally, President Daniel Chapo invoked the moral principle guiding intergenerational responsibility: “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

The Head of State also expressed hope that COP30 will produce “renewed commitments, concrete actions and a shared vision of hope,” reaffirming that Mozambique “will continue to do its part with determination and a sense of responsibility, competence and urgency.”

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