Overview

The OPEC Fund for International Development will participate in the COP30 Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil from November 10-15, 2025.

The OPEC Fund’s engagement underscores its role as a South-South climate finance partner and reflects its commitment to advancing inclusive, just and systemic climate action through investments and strategic partnerships.

The OPEC Fund delegation will be led by Vice President, Strategy Musab Alomar and include Luiscela Moreno, Director, Latin America and the Caribbean, Public Sector Operations; Malak Draz, Country Manager, Public Sector Operations; Valerie Herzog, Climate Change Specialist, Strategy, Sustainable Development and Partnerships; and Musaed Alsaleh, Partnerships Manager, Strategy, Sustainable Development and Partnerships.

Since adopting its Climate Action Plan in 2022, the OPEC Fund has continued to expand its support for the global energy transition through project financing and technical assistance,  and is Nearly 40 percent of all new commitments now support climate-related investments.

The Climate Action Plan prioritizes:

• Sustainable and low-carbon development Adaptation and resilience, including nature-based solutions
• Food security and climate-resilient livelihoods
• Innovative financing mechanisms to mobilize greater resources

In addition, the OPEC Fund has committed to aligning its operations with the Paris Agreement, with a target of achieving 60 percent alignment by 2027.

These objectives are being delivered through direct project financing as well as cross-cutting institutional initiatives introduced in recent years, including:

• Island Resilience Facility: A flagship platform for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) combining financial and technical assistance.
• Green-Blue Connect: A new initiative integrating water, ocean and energy solutions (see launch event on November 13).
• Uban Resilience Programs and Disaster Risk Response: Promoting low-carbon cities, infrastructure and early warning and recovery through specific programs and financing.
• Nature Solutions Finance Hub: A joint platform with the Asian Development Bank that combines innovative finance approaches with policy support, capacity building and the development of bankable projects with the goal to catalyze at least US$5 billion.
• Climate Finance and Energy Transition Hub: A partnership launched in June 2022 by the OPEC Fund, the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to accelerate access to clean and affordable energy in developing countries.
• Clean Cooking: Integrating clean energy transitions in forest ecosystems to advance modern cooking solutions while sustaining biodiversity and cultural resilience.

Vice President Alomar outlined the OPEC Fund’s objectives for COP30, stating:

Our goal is to help drive systemic change by unlocking investment, supporting enabling policy environments and ensuring that development progress is both sustainable and inclusive.

The OPEC Fund delegation will contribute to several high-level discussions, addressing topics such as:

• How to catalyze capital for climate financing in emerging markets?
• How to scale solutions in Small Island Developing States?
• How to build resilient, reliable infrastructure services to face nature’s challenges?
• How to ensure water resilience through nature-based solutions across the Global South?

A program highlight will be the launch of the OPEC Fund’s new Green-Blue Connect initiative and publication during a dedicated session at the COP30 Water Pavilion on November 13.

More information on the OPEC Fund’s climate finance work can be found here and more on the institution’s engagement at COP 30 here.