UN Climate change Conference COP30

ICC, as the official UNFCCC focal point for business and industry, will be actively engaged in the UN Climate Change Conference COP30 which starts this week.

 In a letter to climate minister, ICC has called on governments worldwide to make this year's UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belém (Brazil) a turning point for the economic implementation of climate targets. ICC Switzerland supports the appeal by ICC Secretary General John Denton.

Through ICC, members of ICC Switzerland have access to COP30. MSC and Novartis will be in Belem.

COP30 represents the most consequential climate conference since Paris – a pivotal moment to turn ambition and past promises into tangible action on the ground.

In Belém, countries must deliver a robust implementation package that makes economic sense and translates high-level commitments into clear policies, incentives, bankable projects, and measurable results on the ground. This will require tackling fragmented policy signals, regulatory barriers, and uncertainty around the enabling conditions needed to unlock private action and capital at scale for both mitigation and adaptation.

As the voice of the real economy in the UN climate process, ICC will again engage prominently on the major issues for business, most importantly:

1. A firm recommitment by COP30 countries to deliver and implement robust new national climate plans - that are aligned with the 1.5°C goal and guided by the first GST outcomes, while supporting economic growth, energy security and industrial competitiveness. 

2. An actionable Global Goal on Adaptation and implementation framework - that acts as a catalyst for private action and finance to build adaptation and resilience at the scale required.

3. A finance implementation plan that operationalises the New Collective Quantified Goal - and that includes a clear political commitment to address the regulatory barriers that currently inhibit private capital flows where most needed.

4. Strengthen governance and confidence on Article 6 and Voluntary Carbon Markets - striking the right balance between integrity and opportunity and creating the right conditions for business to engage.

ICC KEY POLICY DELIVERABLES

Over the past months, ICC has brought together expertise from across its Policy Commissions to deliver a series of key policy papers and initiatives:

1. A flagship paper outlining how current macroprudential rules restrict private capital flows into climate projects in EMDEs, with proposed targeted “quick fixes” and longer-term reforms to recalibrate Basel III.
2. A commissioned study on private sector engagement in climate adaptation, identifying barriers, scalable financial and insurance models, and enabling policies to unlock capital at scale.
3. Shared principles for responsible corporate use of high-quality credits developed by the ICC-supported UK-Kenya-Singapore Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets, along with an ICC commissioned report providing key insights on the status of voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) and proposals to strengthen market integrity and effectiveness.
4. A contribution to COP30 climate & trade dialogues, building on ICC Global Principles for effective carbon border adjustments, and forging a pathway toward agreement on shared principles.
5. A joint ICC/Sage report taking stock of SME climate ambition, reporting and access to finance – setting out practical steps for governments, financiers, and technology partners to help SMEs move from ambition to action.
6. The ICC Call to Action “Antitrust Enforcers for Climate Action” and the ICC Practical Guide on Sustainability Agreements (to be launched on Wednesday 19 November 2025).

For more information about ICC climate action policy click here