At the COP30 leaders’ summit on 7 November in Belém, Brazil, social protection took center stage as 43 countries and the European Union signed a landmark declaration outlining concrete goals to strengthen climate resilience and promote a just transition. The declaration calls on international organizations, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), to track progress and support implementation. Among its key commitments are expanding social protection coverage in climate-vulnerable developing countries by at least two percentage points per year, adapting social protection systems to climate impacts, mobilizing additional climate finance for these systems, and integrating social protection and just transition measures into national climate strategies such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
At a Solutions Workshop organized by Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development on 11 November, Vinicius Pinheiro, ILO Country Director in Brazil, reaffirmed the ILO’s commitment to advancing the declaration’s objectives and supporting monitoring efforts. He noted the organization’s role in advocating for the ambitious coverage target and highlighted the ILO’s ongoing publication of data on social protection coverage and its integration into climate strategies, particularly in vulnerable countries.
The ILO, in partnership with FAO, UNICEF, and UNRISD, also organized an official side event on 12 November to explore how social protection can advance climate resilience and a just transition. Moderated by Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, the event provided a platform for key constituencies—including workers, employers, youth, and women—to share lived experiences. Mansi Shah from India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) emphasized the urgent need for social protection as an everyday right for informal economy workers facing climate shocks. Government representatives from Cambodia, the Gambia, and Brazil shared lessons from their efforts to extend and adapt social protection in the context of climate change.
Further reinforcing these commitments, a side event on 15 November at the French pavilion showcased how social and economic development must be prioritized alongside decarbonization policies. Audrey Rojkoff, Climate and Nature Director at Agence Française de Développement (AFD), underscored that social justice is no longer optional but essential for climate action, while Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the ILO Action Programme on Just Transition, highlighted that decent work creation and universal social protection are enablers of both mitigation and adaptation.
The growing global recognition of social protection’s role in climate action was also reflected in COP30 negotiations. The Belém Adaptation Indicators, designed to track progress toward the Paris Agreement’s Global Goal on Adaptation, now include two indicators specifically on social protection. Parties also agreed to develop a just transition mechanism to translate discussions—including those on social protection—into concrete action on the ground. Throughout the summit, ILO experts supported parties as observers and subject matter specialists, ensuring that social protection remains a central pillar of climate resilience and equitable transition strategies.
