News facts
From Senegal’s solar breakthroughs to the Maldives’ water resilience, countries demonstrate how climate technologies are driving real-world transformation.
Belém, Brazil, November 10, 2025 – At COP30, the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism — comprising the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) — convened an inspiring side event showcasing how innovation, policy, and partnerships are driving low-emission, climate-resilient development across Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Despite contributing the least to global emissions, SIDS and LDCs face some of the world’s most severe climate risks. Yet across these regions, technology transfer, local innovation, and global collaboration are helping to turn vulnerability into resilience.
Speakers emphasized that COP30 must deliver a credible and equitable plan to close the adaptation, mitigation, and finance gaps, giving the vulnerable nations the means to survive today’s impacts and thrive in a low-carbon future.
According to the Adaptation Gap Report 2025, adaptation finance needs in developing countries are projected to exceed US$310 billion per year by 2035 — twelve times current international public flows.
Meanwhile, the Emissions Gap Report 2025 warns that current policies put the world on track for 2.9°C of warming by 2100, a level that could devastate small islands and low-lying nations through rising seas, coral loss, and intensifying storms.
From Senegal’s solar innovation to the Maldives’ freshwater resilience, Belize’s early warning systems, and Antigua & Barbuda’s national technology planning, countries shared how tailored technological solutions are already turning ambition into measurable impact.
Mme Diouf Sarr, Head of the Climate Change Division, Ministry of Environment, Senegal, highlighted the role of renewable energy in industrial transformation: “Senegal is demonstrating that decarbonizing industry and advancing solar innovation can go hand in hand. Through strong public–private partnerships, we are charting a low-carbon path for our cement sector while pioneering agrivoltaic systems that strengthen both food and energy security.”
From the Maldives, Ms. Raniya Husnu Al Suood, Programme Officer at the Climate Change Department, highlighted the importance of protecting scarce freshwater resources: “In the Maldives, every drop of freshwater counts. By deploying infiltration gallery systems, we’re protecting groundwater, securing agriculture, and strengthening the resilience of our island communities against saltwater intrusion.”
Ms. Edalmi Pinelo, Chief Climate Change Officer, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Solid Waste Management, Belize, focused on information and preparedness. “Innovation and technology are central to how we prepare for and respond to climate risks. By improving climate information and early warning systems, we’re empowering decision-makers and communities to act before disasters strike.”
The CTCN continues to serve as a vital bridge for SIDS and LDCs — turning national requests into practical, real-world technology solutions. For these nations, it is not an abstract mechanism but a lifeline: connecting national priorities with technologies, partners, and finance. Nearly one-quarter of CTCN’s technical assistance requests originate from LDCs, and one-tenth from SIDS.
Under its EU-funded Innovative Climate Solutions programme, the CTCN received a US$2.1 million grant in 2024 to support transformative mitigation projects in these regions. Yet, participants agreed, scaling such efforts will require new financial architecture and stronger political will to ensure equitable access for those most at risk.
About the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism:
Established in 2010 under the UNFCCC, the Technology Mechanism aims to enhance the development and transfer of climate technologies to developing countries. It operates through two complementary bodies:
- The Technology Executive Committee (TEC), which provides strategic policy guidance.
- The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), hosted by UNEP, which delivers hands-on technical assistance through a network of over 800 experts from the private sector, research institutions, and civil society.
Together, they support countries in translating climate ambition into real-world action — ensuring technologies are available, affordable, and adapted to local needs.
Photos: UNFCCC Secretariat