‘A Matter of Survival’: Greenpeace MENA Urges Governments Ahead of COP30 to Bridge the 1.5°C Gap and Avoid Failures
BEIRUT, LEBANON, November 10, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The MENA region must transition away from fossil fuel dependence with better NDCs and fair non debt-based climate finance
As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa (MENA) urges regional leaders and global policymakers to take decisive action to close the 1.5°C ambition gap, strengthen their pledges, and ensure that those responsible for the climate crisis pay their fair share.
The MENA region is warming at nearly 0.46 °C per decade, about two times faster than the global average of 0.18 °C, putting millions at risk from record-breaking heat, droughts, and water scarcity, and making climate action a matter of survival. COP30 marks a critical moment to move from promises to tangible implementation, guided by justice and accountability.
At COP30, Greenpeace MENA is calling for:
● Governments to strengthen their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate action plans to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and align them with the 1.5°C target by committing to a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
● Fair, transparent, and debt-free climate finance, with the Global North—historically high-emitting countries—and international fossil fuel companies contributing their fair share through equitable and accountable mechanisms.
As the negotiations commence, Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director of Greenpeace MENA, said:
“With many major Global North states falling short of their responsibility to lead the transition away from fossil fuels, MENA countries — particularly the Gulf states with the means to act — should seize the opportunity to step forward. By championing this shift, they can show that true climate leadership transcends historical responsibility and is guided by the region’s deeply rooted values and ancestral traditions”.
Commenting on climate finance, Nakat stated:
“COP29 fell disastrously short on climate finance. Once again, the global community has left the countries most affected by the climate crisis, including those in the MENA region, without the means to mitigate and adapt to escalating impacts. This is not about charity — it’s about climate justice. We are unable to withstand more of the world leaders’ repeated past failures”.
At COP30, Greenpeace MENA stresses that this must change. Developed countries must provide additional, public, and non–debt–inducing finance, rather than loans that deepen economic burdens, and scale up support to reach the USD 1.3 trillion target needed for climate action and necessary to secure a livable planet.
Emphasizing the need for structural reform, Nakat said: "The Global North has a clear responsibility to deliver the climate finance that allows MENA nations not only to adapt, but to mitigate and address loss and damage caused by climate change. Ambition to align with a 1.5°C pathway requires fair finance and real technology transfer that empowers our region to drive innovation, clean energy, and resilience. Developed countries must unlock public funds for adaptation and mitigation without forcing our nations deeper into debt. They can do so by ensuring major polluters, including international oil companies that make billions in profit, pay their fair share through transparent and just mechanisms.
In parallel, governments need to strengthen their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and align them with the 1.5°C target. The UN warned that current national climate pledges still put us on track for up to 2.3-2.5°C of global warming this century. Tackling this with stronger pledges means clear roadmaps to transition away from fossil fuels, while investing in renewable energy, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods.
On NDCs, Nakat stated, “Building on the outcome of COP28 in UAE, which delivered a historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, MENA governments need to commit to stronger 2035 climate plans that match the urgency of the crisis. A just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is imperative, not only because science demands it, but because it has become a matter of survival for our people, our region, and our planet.”
From his side, Mohammad Kamal, Youth Delegate and Environmental Justice Advocate with Greenpeace MENA said: “At COP30, another opportunity to bring justice to the region presents itself, only if countries commit to a just transition action mechanism that brings justice to workers, young people, and frontline communities. Otherwise, we risk leaving COP yet again empty-handed”.
Looking ahead, Nakat remarked, “COP30 must be the milestone where words become action. Again, we want to highlight that solutions already exist; now is the moment to unite and scale them up. Across the Gulf and all the way to North Africa, we share both a common challenge and a vital opportunity to act together for our planet and future generations. We must protect livelihoods, build resilient economies, and ensure food and water security in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on Earth”.
-ENDS-
Greenpeace MENA’s COP30 delegation will be on the ground in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November and will be available for in-person or online media interviews upon request.
Please contact Hiam Mardini, Media and Communications Manager at Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, +961 71 553 232, hmardini@greenpeace.org
As the world gathers for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa (MENA) urges regional leaders and global policymakers to take decisive action to close the 1.5°C ambition gap, strengthen their pledges, and ensure that those responsible for the climate crisis pay their fair share.
The MENA region is warming at nearly 0.46 °C per decade, about two times faster than the global average of 0.18 °C, putting millions at risk from record-breaking heat, droughts, and water scarcity, and making climate action a matter of survival. COP30 marks a critical moment to move from promises to tangible implementation, guided by justice and accountability.
At COP30, Greenpeace MENA is calling for:
● Governments to strengthen their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate action plans to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and align them with the 1.5°C target by committing to a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.
● Fair, transparent, and debt-free climate finance, with the Global North—historically high-emitting countries—and international fossil fuel companies contributing their fair share through equitable and accountable mechanisms.
As the negotiations commence, Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director of Greenpeace MENA, said:
“With many major Global North states falling short of their responsibility to lead the transition away from fossil fuels, MENA countries — particularly the Gulf states with the means to act — should seize the opportunity to step forward. By championing this shift, they can show that true climate leadership transcends historical responsibility and is guided by the region’s deeply rooted values and ancestral traditions”.
Commenting on climate finance, Nakat stated:
“COP29 fell disastrously short on climate finance. Once again, the global community has left the countries most affected by the climate crisis, including those in the MENA region, without the means to mitigate and adapt to escalating impacts. This is not about charity — it’s about climate justice. We are unable to withstand more of the world leaders’ repeated past failures”.
At COP30, Greenpeace MENA stresses that this must change. Developed countries must provide additional, public, and non–debt–inducing finance, rather than loans that deepen economic burdens, and scale up support to reach the USD 1.3 trillion target needed for climate action and necessary to secure a livable planet.
Emphasizing the need for structural reform, Nakat said: "The Global North has a clear responsibility to deliver the climate finance that allows MENA nations not only to adapt, but to mitigate and address loss and damage caused by climate change. Ambition to align with a 1.5°C pathway requires fair finance and real technology transfer that empowers our region to drive innovation, clean energy, and resilience. Developed countries must unlock public funds for adaptation and mitigation without forcing our nations deeper into debt. They can do so by ensuring major polluters, including international oil companies that make billions in profit, pay their fair share through transparent and just mechanisms.
In parallel, governments need to strengthen their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and align them with the 1.5°C target. The UN warned that current national climate pledges still put us on track for up to 2.3-2.5°C of global warming this century. Tackling this with stronger pledges means clear roadmaps to transition away from fossil fuels, while investing in renewable energy, innovation, and sustainable livelihoods.
On NDCs, Nakat stated, “Building on the outcome of COP28 in UAE, which delivered a historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, MENA governments need to commit to stronger 2035 climate plans that match the urgency of the crisis. A just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels is imperative, not only because science demands it, but because it has become a matter of survival for our people, our region, and our planet.”
From his side, Mohammad Kamal, Youth Delegate and Environmental Justice Advocate with Greenpeace MENA said: “At COP30, another opportunity to bring justice to the region presents itself, only if countries commit to a just transition action mechanism that brings justice to workers, young people, and frontline communities. Otherwise, we risk leaving COP yet again empty-handed”.
Looking ahead, Nakat remarked, “COP30 must be the milestone where words become action. Again, we want to highlight that solutions already exist; now is the moment to unite and scale them up. Across the Gulf and all the way to North Africa, we share both a common challenge and a vital opportunity to act together for our planet and future generations. We must protect livelihoods, build resilient economies, and ensure food and water security in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on Earth”.
-ENDS-
Greenpeace MENA’s COP30 delegation will be on the ground in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November and will be available for in-person or online media interviews upon request.
Please contact Hiam Mardini, Media and Communications Manager at Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, +961 71 553 232, hmardini@greenpeace.org
Hiam Mardini
Greenpeace MENA
+961 71 553 232
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