Belém, Brazil, 10 November 2025 — The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is calling on world leaders to put gender equality, health, and youth leadership at the heart of efforts to accelerate the global climate action agenda as the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference opens in Belém.
The 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) brings together governments, scientists, and civil society from 6–21 November in Belém, Brazil, to focus on accelerating efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C; presenting new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); launch of the Belem Health Action Plan (BHAP), advancing discussions on the finance commitments made at COP29; and delivering the new UNFCCC Gender Action Plan (GAP).
“The climate crisis is not gender neutral,” said UNFPA Programme Director, Julia Bunting. “Climate change threatens the health, rights and safety of women and girls everywhere. Investing in their resilience is investing in our collective future. We need to move from awareness to action — scaling up investments in health systems, education and leadership opportunities that empower women to lead climate solutions.”
At COP30 UNFPA is urging governments, partners, and climate finance institutions to:
- Direct a greater proportion of adaptation finance toward women, girls, and youth
- Embed health and protection services into national climate strategies
- Use demographic intelligence and disaggregated data to inform equitable responses, and
- Strengthen youth leadership as a driver of climate justice and innovation.
These ideas will be advanced in a series of UNFPA-supported or led events that advance the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, and health equity into national and global climate frameworks.
UNFPA is also launching two studies that bring data and guidance to climate and health decision-makers:
Demographic Intelligence for Risk-Ready Futures: Mapping the exposure of Latin American populations and emergency healthcare facilities to natural disasters
This study shows that 267 million people and nearly 5,000 emergency hospitals in Latin America and the Caribbean are exposed to major natural hazards, and calls for data-driven investments to protect lives, strengthen health systems, and target those most at risk. The study was produced with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Harvard Medical School’s Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC). The study will be launched on November 10th at Casa Bayer during COP30, with online registration available here.
- Download the report here.
A Handbook for Integrating Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender-Based Violence and Harmful Practices into National Climate Policies and Action
This handbook offers a roadmap for governments to embed gender equality and health priorities in national climate plans. It was developed in response to a 2023 review by UNFPA and Queen Mary University of London that showed only 38 of 119 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) reference these issues.
- Download the handbook here.
Youth leadership and inclusion: the “City of Youth” at COP30
UNFPA is also supporting the Youth Climate Camp - a vibrant space within the Cidade das Juventudes (City of Youth), in partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Women, the National Youth Secretariat, and the COP30 Youth Climate Champion (PYCC), Marcele Oliveira. Bringing together hundreds of young activists from across Brazil and around the world, the camp fosters dialogue, creativity, and collective action for climate justice. It is the first youth-led, gender-responsive space at a UNFCCC conference.
UNFPA Key Events at COP30
10 November | 19:00–21:00
Gender Equity in Focus: Building Resilient Health Systems for Women in a Changing Climate
- Venue: Casa Bayer - Av. Nª Sra. de Nazaré, 319 - Nazaré, Belém
- Registration to follow online: here
- Partners: Bayer, UNFPA Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO)
10 November | 18:30—20:00
Intergenerational Dialogue: Youth, Gender and Intergenerational Equity in Adaptation, ACE, RM
- Venue: Side Event Room 5
- Partners: African Environmental Network, Global Youth Coalition, UNFPA, International Federation of Medical Students' Associations, YOUNGO, Panama, Canada (LOJIQ)
11 November | 11:00–13:00
Response to the Climate Emergency in Rio Grande do Sul (2024): Operational Lessons for Inclusive Humanitarian and Development Action
- Venue: UN Brazil Pavilion, Blue Zone
- Partners: AFPs in Brazil
11 November | 18:30–20:00
World Youth Assembly at COP30 + Joint Visit to the UNFPA-supported Youth Climate Camp
- Venue: Youth Camp, Espaço Curro Velho - Rua Prof. Nelson Ribeiro, 287, Telégrafo, Belém
- Partners: PYCC, Brazilian Ministry of Women, the National Youth Secretariat
12 November | 11:00
From Local Experience to Global Action: Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Climate Events and Emergencies and the Belém Health Action Plan
- Venue: Action Agenda Pavilion, Axis 5 - Blue Zone
- Partners: Ministry of Health, Brazil
12 November | 13:15
Aligning Climate Action with Human Rights Obligations, Including to Cooperate and Mobilize Resources
- Venue: Side Event Room 2
- Partner Event with: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
12 November | 18:30
UNFPA Signature Event: Financing SRHR, Gender-Transformative and Human-Rights Based Climate Action through NDCs & NAPs
- Venue: Side Event Room 4, Blue Zone
- Partners: UNDP, OHCHR and AfDB
13 November | 09:00–12:00
Ministerial Launch of the Belém Health Action Plan (BHAP)
- Venue: UNFCCC Plenary, Blue Zone
- Organizer: Ministry of Health, Brazil
13 November | 13:30
Advancing Health Equity in a Changing Climate
- Venue: German Pavilion, Blue Zone
- Partners: Bayer, UNFPA LACRO
14 November | 15:30
Promoting Equitable Climate Action: Parliamentary Approaches to Gender-Responsive and Health-Centered Solutions
- Venue: Legislative Assembly of the State of Pará, Palácio Cabanagem, Belém
- Partners: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), UNFPA
19 November | 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Community Voices, Global Impact: Youth Climate Advocacy Lab
- Venue: Blue zone, hosted by the Global Centre for Climate Mobility in the Climate Mobility pavilion.
- Partners: EGYouth4Climate in partnership with Egypt Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNFPA Egypt, and GCCM.
Media contacts
- Luiza Olmedo - UNFPA Brazil luolmedo@unfpa.org | +55 61 991652584
- Norha Restrepo – UNFPA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean nrestrepo@unfpa.org | +507 6465 4591
