Source: World Vision
- Fund adaptation now: Leaders at COP 30 must urgently deliver grant-based climate finance to secure children’s food and health, integrating intergenerational dialogue and 1.5 °C ambition into all decisions to support frontline communities in the Pacific facing existential climate threats.
- Invest in people-centred, climate-responsive social protection systems: to ensure children’s immediate needs are met, including water security, health, and safe food access.
- Urgent Emissions Cuts to Save Food Systems: Countries must submit enhanced NDCs with deep, rapid emissions cuts aligned with the 1.5 °C target to prevent the catastrophic failure of food security in vulnerable regions like the Pacific.
As world leaders convene for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, the “Amazon COP”, the Solomon Islands Government and World Vision Solomon Islands are calling for an urgent course correction to close the finance gap, protect global food systems, and deliver on the 1.5 °C goal before it is too late for the world’s most vulnerable children.
The conference, which is taking place ten years since the Paris Agreement, must serve as a turning point from pledges to action. The Solomons government and World Vision say the failure to curb emissions and adequately finance adaptation is fueling a global hunger crisis, poor diet and malnutrition, which directly impacts children and youth across the Pacific.
Honourable Polycarp Paea, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, says: “Our commitment is rooted in the wise stewardship of our oceans and forests. We are protecting these vital resources for future generations through strategies like reforestation and sustainable fisheries, as outlined in our NDC 3.0. Recognising that over 70% of our population are youth, we are actively breaking down barriers by integrating climate education, supporting advisory groups, and ensuring young people lead in the decisions that shape our nation’s climate resilience.”
The $1.3 Trillion Question: Delivering Adaptation Finance Now
The primary focus of COP 30 is climate finance, particularly the “Baku to Belém Roadmap” which aims to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for developing countries.
The Solomon Islands Government and World Vision Solomon Islands insist this goal must be met with urgency, transparency, and a focus on grant-based adaptation:
- Scale-up adaptation grants: Developed nations must prioritise grant-based funding for adaptation, not loans, to support frontline communities in the Pacific and low-lying regions facing existential threats from sea-level rise and extreme weather.
- Fund human-centred adaptation: Finance must flow directly to climate-responsive social protection systems and programs that address the immediate needs of children, including water security, health, and safe food access—core themes emphasised by the Belém Declaration.
Food Systems and the 1.5°C Imperative
COP 30’s focus on the transformation of agriculture and food systems provides a crucial opportunity to link climate action directly to the fight against hunger.
Current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by countries are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5 °C which threatens to further destabilise the fragile food security of millions, including the most vulnerable children.
World Vision and Solomons Government say countries must submit enhanced NDCs that include deep, rapid emissions cuts aligned with the 1.5 °C target and recognize that exceeding this limit guarantees catastrophic failure of food systems in vulnerable regions.
They also say that the voices of indigenous people and local communities’ must be prioritized in line with the Amazon COP’s commitment to a “Global Mutirão.” This means meaningful participation with Indigenous Peoples and local leaders, whose traditional knowledge is essential for stewarding forests and developing sustainable agricultural practices.
Intergenerational Dialogue and the Lived Reality of Loss and Damage
The Solomon Islands delegation is committed to ensuring the voices of those currently impacted drive COP outcomes. On 18 November 2025, the Government of Solomon Islands and World Vision co-hosted a key COP30 side event: Natural Resource Management: Intergenerational Dialogue at the Moana Pavilion. This dialogue helped to connect policymakers with children, youth, and community leaders on climate-smart stewardship.
Child advocate Lynthia,12, shared their Joint Statement from Children, Youth and PWDs to the Government of Solomon Islands, which was earlier presented during the National Loss and Damage Dialogue in Solomon Islands last month.
Lynthia said: “My dream is to become a doctor, but to heal the world, we must first heal the land. Our future requires a transition of learning—teaching every child about climate change and the wise stewardship of our resources. We are here as young people who live the climate crisis every single day. For us climate change is our lived reality—our homes are washed away by saltwater, our food gardens are destroyed, and our families are being displaced. We, the children and youth, demand that the leaders at COP 30 invest now to support us in protecting our identity, livelihood, and future.”
Irene Marbun, World Vision Solomon Islands Operations Manager, says: “Children did not create this crisis, yet they are paying for it. Our unified climate action proves that the solutions are ready at the community level. We stand with the Solomon Islands Government, our Pacific leaders, children and youth in demanding one thing from this COP: a commitment to investing in human-centred adaptation that guarantees our children a future free from climate-driven hunger.”
World Vision and the Solomon Islands Government also extended their sincere appreciation to Lynthia, her parents and school for fostering an exceptional young woman with a deep commitment to advocating for the environment and serving the people of the Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific region.
