Climate and Development Ministerial
Through the Climate and Development Ministerial, IIED, along with secretariat partner E3G, is working to advocate for the adaptation of the finance priorities of least developed countries and Small Island Developing States. Led by 15 nations and institutions, it aims to build trust and catalyse bold, collective action for change by improving finance access and delivery.
Climate & Development Ministerial group photo at COP30 in Brazil (Photo: COP30 Presidency)
As climate change disproportionately threatens the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, such as communities of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs), the Climate and Development Ministerial (C&DM) emerged as a crucial platform to amplify their voices and needs, and to address the fundamental challenge of advocating for climate finance to reach those who need it most.
Launched in 2021, the C&DM is made up of 15 countries and finance institutions (known as ‘co-champions’).
The co-champions are: Adaptation Fund, Denmark, Ethiopia, Ireland, Italy, Malawi, Nepal, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Somalia, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Tuvalu, Uganda and Vanuatu. E3G and IIED act as the secretariat.
The C&DM is one of the few processes which enables funders and climate-vulnerable countries from across the world to engage with one another in a collaborative manner, build trust and discuss critical adaptation finance issues outside of the UNFCCC process.
The C&DM has three overarching goals as part of its vision launched at COP28. Each goal is championed by specific C&DM members:
- Enhancing country-owned programmatic financing by ensuring that climate-vulnerable countries have the resources needed to implement their adaptation priorities as outlined in their national plans
Co-champions: Denmark, Ireland, Vanuatu, Uganda
- Ease access to climate finance by reducing waiting times, minimising transition costs, simplifying compliance and reporting requirements and enabling significant financial flows to reach countries and communities through direct access
Co-champions: United Kingdom
- Scale all sources of adaptation finance by addressing barriers, including mobilising innovative finance, attracting private sector investment and exploring debt considerations
Co-champions: Uganda, Adaptation Fund, Vanuatu
The Climate and Ministerial Development goals and responsible co-champions
What has the Climate and Development Ministerial achieved so far?
The C&DM has already achieved a lot in a short space of time, and intends to continue with this trajectory towards an ambitious future.
2021
The first ministerial is hosted virtually by the UK, focused on climate finance access, impacts and debt sustainability
2022
C&DM convenes pivotal discussions on shifting finance towards national platforms, reforming the global financial architecture, and expanding both the scale and sources of climate finance. These talks culminate in the agreement of a forward plan
2023
A vision statement (PDF) on adaptation finance at COP28 is launched to set out priority actions and create a coalition of ambition on adaptation finance (PDF). Participating countries and institutions nominate themselves to co-champion the vision’s three goals and support delivery of the agreed actions
2024
A technical workshop identifies practical steps to accelerate adaptation finance, while an evidence review offers strategic insights for vulnerable nations
The fourth C&DM, co-hosted by Azerbaijan, the UK and Vanuatu ahead of COP29, further advances these efforts and launches a new dialogue on programmatic approaches to financing
- Read more on the progress made so far and reflections on the process.
Join the Climate and Development Ministerial!
Co-champions of the C&DM process and goals are key to delivering the C&DM mission.
They have a direct pathway to be actively involved in discussions and contribute to improving critical and pressing issues around access to adaptation funding, influencing how climate finance is delivered, and addressing current barriers in the financial system.
We welcome all countries and climate funds interested in joining the C&DM as a co-champion and to help push forward its goals.
By joining the C&DM and becoming a co-champion, countries and climate funds can take an active role in shaping discussions, advancing solutions to improve access to adaptation finance, influencing how climate funding is delivered and tackling systemic barriers within the financial system.
Additionally, co-champions will receive technical, strategic and practical support from the C&DM secretariat, which is made up of research experts and project managers.
All countries and climate funds can join the Climate and Development Ministerial.
Countries and institutions are expected to commit to furthering at least one goal of the C&DM and communicating with other co-champions on their progress. This can be defined by each country or representative.
Representatives from within the government or institution will be expected to join a monthly meeting with other co-champions to provide updates on progress, blockers or needs. Additionally, they will be expected to attend an annual ministerial level meeting, which will be convened by the C&DM secretariat.
You can get in contact by emailing [email protected] to set up a conversation with the secretariat.
It is expected that new joiners will publicly endorse their commitment to the C&DM goals as part of joining the Climate and Development Ministerial.
Catalytic outputs
To support the achievement of the goals, C&DM and partners generate evidence, toolkits and other knowledge products to fill knowledge gaps, and drive forward strategic, and informed policies and action to improve the quality and quantity of adaptation finance for LDCs and SIDs.
A range of resources can be found below.
Additional resources
Operationalising country platforms for adaptation for SIDS and LDCs, C&DM (December 2025), COP30 event report
Press release: Countries and partners share perspectives on delivery (PDF) (November 2025)
Climate and Development Ministerial Summary 2025 (PDF) (2025)
Climate and Development Ministerial Strategic Review (PDF) (October 2025)
Climate and Development Ministerial secretariat input (PDF) (October 2025), briefing paper
Champions Group on Adaptation Finance technical input paper (PDF) (October 2025), Climate and Development Ministerial
From pledges to pathways: scaling equitable adaptation finance for the most vulnerable, Anaa Hassan, Mohsen Gul, Ebony Holland, Bimal Regmi, Dave Steinbach, Aaron Acuda, Kevin Johnstone, Sejal Patel (2025), T20 South Africa policy brief
Climate and Development Ministerial (C&DM) Technical Experts: Programmatic, accessible and scaled adaptation finance for LDCs and SIDS (PDF) (2024), Wilton Park report
Database: Adaptation Finance Initiatives Mapper (2024)
Video: Climate and Development Ministerial 2024 at Pre-COP29 (2024), COP29 AZE
Video: Aligning for Impact: Programmatic Approaches to Adaptation Finance through NAPs and NDCs 3.0 (2024), EIB Events Live streaming
2023 Climate and development ministerial: coalition of ambition on adaptation finance (PDF) (2023), briefing
Climate and Development Ministerial forward plan (2022), briefing
Contact
Mohsen Gul, senior researcher, IIED's Climate Change research group
