Climate Summit 2025: Scaling 10 Solutions That Can Still Deliver

In 2025, the urgency of climate action is undeniable. Heatwaves are breaking records, disasters are becoming more frequent, and emissions continue to rise. Young people, in particular, are demanding accountability, turning the climate crisis into a defining political issue for their generation. 
  
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, countries will be fully unveiling their upgraded plans and commitments to the Paris Agreement- their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Thus far, many commitments are not nearly as ambitious, strategic, and well- financed as they need to be.  
 
The 2025 Climate Summit, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week, brought together governments, businesses and communities showing that, despite delays and political rollbacks, the momentum for climate action is stronger than ever.  
 
Here are ten of the most urgent areas where scaling action now can drive justice, jobs, resilience and still bend the curve towards the 1.5-degree limit.

1. Accelerate a Just Energy Transition

The world must make a decisive move away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy systems that can be an engine for sustainable development. 
 
Why this matters: Tackling the energy sector, which contributes two-thirds of carbon emissions, is a huge win for climate action. A just and equitable energy transition to clean energy can lift people out of poverty, ensuring jobs and boosting industry and innovation. It can help tackle gender equality and improve health and education outcomes. 
 
In Focus: In Indonesia, the Just Energy Transition Partnership- a coalition of governments, UN agencies, financing institutions, and private investors- aims to mobilise $20 billion for a fair, inclusive energy transition. It is the most significant such commitment to date, showing how partnership can align finance, policy, and technology for systemic change.  

2. Decarbonise Industry at Scale

From cement and steel to chemicals and aluminium, we must deploy breakthrough technologies that reduce emissions and capture carbon, while shifting to circular economy approaches. 
 
Why this matters: Investing in industrial decarbonisation is an opportunity for us to right the mistakes of the past. Even as countries, particularly in Africa and emerging markets invest in development and more cities are built, the demand to industrialise will increase. The world can significantly benefit from adopting low-carbon technologies, promoting circular economy approaches, and implementing energy-efficiency. Cutting emissions in these sectors can be a gateway for innovation, efficiency, and economic competitiveness for years to come. 
 
In Focus: Governments, companies and investors are already coming together through the Global Matchmaking Platform that targets high-emitting sectors in developing economies. The aviation and maritime sectors are also starting to move. The aviation sector, through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has pledged to reduce emissions by 5 per cent by 2030, while the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a net-zero goal for the maritime sector by 2050. Mechanisms such as fuel standards, emissions penalties, and credit trading schemes are being developed to turn these commitments into action.

3. Slash Methane Emissions Now

Methane is a short-lived but potent greenhouse gas, responsible for roughly a third of emissions and with a warming effect of about 80 times that of CO2. Cutting back on methane emissions needs to be prioritised across sectors- agriculture, energy, industry, waste, etc. 
 
Why this matters: Unlike carbon dioxide, methane reductions deliver rapid climate benefits. Cutting methane emissions is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to limit peak warming in the near term. Adopting strategies for methane reduction can help strengthen and build resilience of our food systems, tackle waste reduction and the fossil fuel sector and improve health outcomes. 
 
In Focus: The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, backed by the UN, is helping countries implement methane abatement strategies across the energy, agriculture and waste sectors. Countries such as Colombia are setting clear strategies and beginning to regulate methane emissions in the mining sector, while low-cost technologies already exist for capture and monitoring. Furthermore, the Coalition is also facilitating the Global Methane Pledge, launched on the sidelines of COP26, which is led by countries to secure voluntary commitments and actions to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.

4. Put Communities at the Centre of Adaptation

Every country now has some form of national adaptation plan, but most remain underfunded and fragmented. Well-financed adaptation must become a reality for the communities already bearing the brunt of climate impacts and at the forefront of action. We must elevate country-led solutions and unlock new, flexible climate finance. 
 
Why this matters: Adaptation protects lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. Investing in adaptation can help us tackle climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity, biodiversity loss and habitat destruction. Because of its localised nature, adaptation efforts offer a real platform for empowering local leadership, especially women and Indigenous peoples who are already developing frontline solutions. 
 
In Focus: In countries across the world like Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Uganda and Viet Nam, community-driven adaptation initiatives ranging from drought-resilient agriculture to mangrove restoration are demonstrating what works most effectively. However, without financing, these successes remain isolated islands of progress rather than models that can be scaled nationally and regionally.

5. Invest in Early Warnings for All

Governments, civil society, and agencies must work together to scale up early warning systems and prioritise extreme heat resilience, especially for vulnerable populations.  
 
Why this matters: Disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, costing trillions annually. Early warning systems save lives and reduce losses; yet, one-third of the population, particularly in the least developed countries and small island states, still lacks them. Being able to plan and respond to hazards with robust early warning systems ensures that countries suffer far fewer losses and can bounce back faster. 
 
In Focus: Through the Secretary-General's “Early Warnings for All” initiative, several countries, including Bangladesh, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Tajikistan and Uganda, efforts are underway to expand climate information services, last-mile connectivity for communities and national strategies to establish multi-hazard early warning systems. Scaling these efforts globally requires a strong commitment to political will, substantial investment, and effective integration into development planning.

6. Incentivise the Protection and Restoration of Forests 

Biodiversity restoration and climate action are inextricably linked. Tropical forests remain one of the planet’s best climate allies.  The proper financial mechanisms and economic incentives for protecting forests can help ensure that conservation efforts are both sustainable and impactful. 
 
Why this matters: Protecting tropical forests is also crucial for the lives and livelihoods of many people.  It ensures justice for Indigenous peoples and local communities who depend on them. Importantly, blended finance mechanisms can spur action from the private sector, financiers, banks and more, shaping how markets can work better for conservation. 
 
In Focus: Joint UN efforts such as the UNREDD+ programmes have already amassed a wealth of good practices on reducing deforestation and sustainably managing forests, incentivising almost 65 countries around the world with results-based payments. Similarly, the forthcoming Tropical Forests Forever Facility, to be launched at COP30, aims to provide predictable, performance-based finance for countries and communities that protect forests, shifting the conversation from one-off projects to long-term sustainability.

7. Harness Digital Public Infrastructure for Climate

Digital transformation is not an end in itself. It is a means to make climate solutions more inclusive, efficient, and effective. Expanding digital public infrastructure can be a catalyst for climate action. 
 
Why this matters: A strong digital public infrastructure can improve access to climate information, help gain foresight and make better decisions with big data and artificial intelligence, manage financial flows, enhance disaster response, improve agricultural resilience, and empower citizens to be more effective climate champions. 
 
In Focus: Last year, at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, over 1,000 governments, companies, philanthropies, financial institutions, civil society organizations, and international and regional organizations endorsed a declaration for Green Digital Action. The declaration offers a vision to harness digital innovations to accelerate emissions reduction and energy efficiency across sectors, and to invest in resilient digital infrastructure that shapes decisions and practices. The Climate Technology Centre and Network are implementing the declaration with support from ITU and UNFCCC.

8. Ensure Information Integrity and Tackle Climate Mis/Disinformation

Climate misinformation and disinformation erode trust, slow progress, and undermine decades of scientific research and policy leadership. Protecting information integrity is vital to sustaining civic action and political will. 
 
Why this matters: Rebuilding trust that has been lost to climate denialism can be challenging. This makes accurate, trusted information that empowers citizens all the more important. Tackling information integrity offers an opportunity for collaboration across sectors and brings the voices of people on the climate frontlines to the policymaking table. It can strengthen democracy, ensure justice and build resilience. 
 
in Focus: The Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched by Brazil, the United Nations and UNESCO last year at the G20 Leaders’ Summit, is a first-of-its-kind collaboration among policymakers, civil society organizations, academia and international organizations to fund research and action to strengthen information integrity on climate issues.

9. Empower Non-State Actors

Cities, businesses, financiers, trade unions, and youth movements are already advancing climate solutions and shaping public opinion. Their role must be recognized as essential to delivering systemic change. 
 
Why this matters: National governments cannot act alone. Non-state actors connect global policy to local realities and can often move more quickly to implement and innovate. Empowered non-state actors can shape public opinion, influence their own stakeholders to stay ahead of the curve, and contribute to policymaking and decision-making. The private sector, in particular, can shift business practices concretely and contribute to financing at scale in a way that optimizes profit and sustainability. 
 
In Focus: Cities are setting net-zero targets, youth movements are holding leaders accountable, and investors are shifting portfolios away from fossil fuels. In many cases, these actors are outpacing governments in ambition and delivery.

10. Mobilise Climate Finance at Scale

Without money, solutions remain plans. The world must close the gap between climate finance needs and current flows. This requires not only public sources, but also private and innovative financing that engages the whole of society. 
 
Why this matters: Current adaptation finance needs are estimated at eight to 14 times larger than public flows. Loss and damage remain underfunded. Meanwhile, for climate mitigation, fossil fuel subsidies still pose significant challenges. Even as renewable energy investments continue to soar, more needs to be done. The global target of $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries by 2035 must be met with predictable, accessible, and equitable financing. 
 
In Focus: Global partnerships and financing arrangements like the Just Energy Transition Partnership, the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund are already channelling millions for country-led efforts in mitigation and adaptation. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage was established in 2022 to mobilise resources, particularly for developing countries. Furthermore, individual governments, such as those in Thailand, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, are establishing their own domestic mechanisms to ensure that public and private finance are aligned with climate action.

These ten solutions are not new; they are tested, practical, and ready to be scaled. What has been lacking is the alignment and political will to move with speed and urgency.  
 
The Climate Summit has brought this urgency into focus. Leaders from China, EU and developing economies have recommitted to new emissions targets and pledges, launched partnerships for adaptation in vulnerable countries and have demonstrated strong political will to move in the right direction. 
 
With COP30 on the horizon countries must now seize the moment and scale the solutions that are within reach- for our planet and for future generations.