Podcast Summary: This Week in Global Development
Episode: On the ground at COP30: The latest on climate finance and deciphering the jargon
Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Devex (Kate Warren guest hosting, with Ayanat Mercy, Jesse Chase Lubitz)
Location: Live from COP30 in Belém, Brazil
Episode Overview
In this episode, recorded live from COP30 in Belém, Brazil, guest host Kate Warren chats with Devex reporters Ayanat Mercy and Jesse Chase Lubitz on the latest developments in climate finance, the unique on-ground experience in the Amazon, and how the complex climate jargon intersects with the global development agenda. The team delves into acronyms, key negotiations, the role of indigenous communities, the evolving food systems conversation, the importance of subnational leadership, and new finance models for climate action.
The episode also features an interview with Sarah Joy Malaba of TICO, focusing on leveraging technology for women’s health and community-driven development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. Hosting COP30 in the Amazon – Immersive and Controversial
Timestamps: [00:10]–[03:41]
- Venue & Atmosphere: The team notes both symbolic and practical challenges—daily heat, thunderstorms, and infrastructure issues are a stark reminder of the stakes at COP.
- “It brings everything to a much more kind of real... to how important it is to figure all of this out.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [01:48]
- Inclusion of Indigenous Communities: Greater indigenous representation is seen as a major positive compared to previous COPs (e.g., Baku), facilitated by the Amazonian location.
- Hypocrisy & Legacy: Concerns about carbon neutrality and lasting local impact; positive legacy noted with initiatives like a city organic waste recycling program.
2. The Jargon Game: Breaking Down Climate Acronyms
Timestamps: [03:41]–[07:45]
- NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions): Every country’s Paris Agreement-aligned emission and climate plans. Many countries have missed deadlines ([05:04]).
- NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal): The $300 billion per year finance target from developed to developing countries ([06:18]).
- TFF (Tropical Forest Forever Facility): Innovative fund rewarding forest conservation, using an investment model with public and private participation ([06:40]). Some skepticism about equitable payout and risks.
3. Innovative Climate Finance – Forests and Beyond
Timestamps: [07:45]–[10:09]
- New Financial Models: Public and private sector actors—including multilateral development banks (MDBs) like EBRD, AIIB, and EIB—show growing interest in nature-based investment platforms like TFF.
- Potential for Scale: Comparison with the green bond market’s multi-trillion growth; hope for the same trajectory in nature-based solutions (Ayanat Mercy, [09:28]).
- “Do you think that forests and nature-based solutions could be a trillion dollar market? ...the hope.” — Ayanat Mercy paraphrasing Leslie Mazdorp [09:28]
4. Agriculture and Food Systems Take Center Stage
Timestamps: [10:09]–[12:37]
- Brazil’s Role: As an agricultural powerhouse and a global leader in reducing hunger (lifting 40 million out of hunger recently), Brazil is spotlighted for sustainable food policy ([10:52]).
- Belen Declaration: A non-binding call to invest in smallholder farmers and incorporate hunger/food security in climate policy—a signal that food and ag are now core COP issues.
5. Climate and Development: What’s Happening at COP30
Timestamps: [21:25]–[25:49]
- Negotiation Dynamics: COP’s lengthy two-week format means slow starts but high-intensity endings. The agenda is still fluid, with key decisions awaiting ([21:53]).
- Development Community’s Role: Split focus on both official negotiations and parallel initiatives (like Belen Declaration). Real action often occurs outside formal talks ([24:04]).
- Era of Implementation: Emphasis on getting money into the hands of actors best placed to deploy it—public development banks feel it's “their year” ([25:08]).
6. U.S. Absence, Subnational Leadership, and City-Level Action
Timestamps: [25:49]–[30:39]
- U.S. Federal Absence: Notably, the federal government is absent; California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and other subnational leaders take the spotlight, making bilateral agreements (e.g., with Kenya) ([26:47]).
- “No one's missing the Americans... if they're not going to be a part of the process, it's better that they're not here trying to derail it.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [26:47]
- Cities Move Forward: Cities demand direct climate finance; mayors and governors are increasingly central to the climate transition ([28:54]).
- “Cities want a seat at the table and we want direct climate finance to come to us, which is a pretty big deal.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [28:54]
- Peer Exchange: City leaders from various global south contexts share practical solutions for waste management and accessing climate finance ([29:50]).
7. Key Funds and Transition Minerals
Timestamps: [30:39]–[35:41]
- Loss & Damage Fund: Rapid development (compared to usual pace), but civil society sees the pace as unbearably slow; only $800 million so far, with first $250 million up for proposals ([30:53]).
- Critical (“Transition”) Minerals: Brazil's lithium reserves spotlighted; challenge of ensuring countries with natural resources retain more value locally, rather than exporting raw materials ([33:19]).
- “If a nation can't develop with fossil fuels, what can it develop with? And these are the things that are going to power the energy sector in countries.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [34:55]
Special Interview: TICO & Tech-Enabled Women’s Health
Timestamps: [13:04]–[21:14]
Guest: Sarah Joy Malaba, Co-CEO of TICO
- Personal Motivation: Driven by the loss of her parents to HIV and her experience raising siblings, supported by networks of women ([13:13]).
- TICO Model: Digital platforms track adolescent girls' access to health services in informal settlements. Each girl receives a unique QR-coded card, enabling real-time, granular data collection without requiring personal digital access ([14:39]).
- Collaboration: Partnerships with public and private clinics, community mobilizers, and retailers under shared values—trust, no-cost services, and performance-based support ([16:51]).
- Award Impact: Investment enables deepening of gender-based violence (GBV) responses, more survivor-centered approaches, and expanded integration with existing health services ([18:29]).
- “We are looking at impacting 3.5 million girls at minimum, with an integrated model...” — Sarah Joy Malaba [18:29]
- Key Takeaway: Long-term investment and integrated models are vital for adolescent girls’ health and resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I think there's a lot of value that I’m not even sure I expected from just like feeling uncomfortable while you're having these conversations...” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [01:48]
- “It's a massive loss to not have [the U.S. government] here. Like, no climate movement can be as full without them because... second biggest emitter.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [27:35]
- “We can tell where the health system breaks down for her if she comes for one or multiple services... we can leverage on technology as a means of finding her, following her and supporting her user journey so that she does not only start on care, but can continue on it.” — Sarah Joy Malaba [14:39]
- “Cities want a seat at the table and we want direct climate finance to come to us, which is a pretty big deal.” — Jesse Chase Lubitz [28:54]
Episode Timeline – Key Segments
- 00:10–03:41: Hosting COP in Belém: Indigenous inclusion, climate setting, hypocrisy, and legacies
- 03:41–07:45: “Acronym Game” – NDCs, NCQG, TFF explained
- 07:45–12:37: Nature-based finance & Brazil’s food policy at COP
- 13:04–21:14: TICO interview: digital health in Africa, GBV integration
- 21:25–25:49: COP negotiation structure, development community’s role
- 25:49–30:39: U.S. absence, rise of cities and governors, bilateral activity
- 30:39–35:41: Climate funds, Loss and Damage fund update, critical minerals
- 35:41–End: The human side – local culture, wrap-up, reporting plans
Further Coverage
- Daily reporter’s notebook and special newsletters from the Devex team available for COP30 updates.
- Extra resources at Devex Newswire.
This detailed summary captures the central conversations, insights, and energy from a fast-changing COP30, offering natural-flowing highlights and context for listeners and non-listeners alike.