The CCG team which attended COP30 consisted of (L-R) Nguyen Hoang Nam , Melinsa Abeysundara, Carla Cannone, Vivien Foster, Mark Howells, Holger Dalkmann, Luke Hatton and Ton Alfstad. Here, Vivien and Carla share their thoughts on the event and its outcomes.
COP30 in Belém marked a shift toward real implementation, and CCG played a central role in that agenda. Over two weeks, the CCG delegation co-organised nine events, contributed speakers to seventeen more, and held over twenty-five bilateral meetings. Our work received written endorsement from the COP30 President, was referenced in plenary by Ed Miliband, and was highlighted by Ministers and MDBs across high-level sessions.
Across all these engagements, one message was clear: partners themselves put the spotlight on CCG – for building national capacity, improving evidence, and helping countries move from plans to finance-ready strategies. These insights stood out.
Data-to-Deal is Becoming the Practical Pathway from Plans to Investment
CCG’s launch of Data-to-Deal: A Guide for Practitioners drew strong attention at COP30. Beyond the framework itself, what resonated was the co-creation approach behind it. Simon Benmarraze, Senior Manager at IRENA, summed this up clearly: “The approach Climate Compatible Growth has developed, with its focus on co-creation, is admirable.” Marcela Jaramillo of 2050 Pathways emphasised how D2D strengthens institutions: “There is a clear shift toward more inclusive engagement, emerging with more credible and legitimate plans.”
Countries echoed this repeatedly:
Türkiye showcased its nationally run GHG modelling system at a session at which our Director, Mark Howells, joined them. Elif Pinar Polat commented: “CCG’s team was ambitious and supportive… now we have a strong national system that we can run ourselves.” Prof Halil Hasar added: “This is human infrastructure… ownership matters.”
Vietnam underlined the value of domestic expertise and Dr Nam Nguyen Hoang said: “We need consultants originating in-country… and that started with sending staff to the Energy Modelling Platform organised by CCG.”
Botswana reinforced national ownership. Odisitse George Keotsene commented: “This has been designed and implemented by Botswana, for Botswana.”
From the finance angle, Amanda McKee of the NDC Partnership highlighted the importance of integrated analysis: “Countries find the climate finance landscape difficult to navigate-Fintrack addresses exactly this.”
Across COP30, the message was consistent: countries are moving toward nationally-led planning ecosystems and Data-to-Deal is helping them connect models, policy reform, and financial mobilisation into a coherent, country-owned process.
Grids and Transmission Gained Real Political Traction
Transmission infrastructure emerged as one of the defining themes of COP30. As countries scale renewables and face rising electricity demand, partners stressed that there is no transition without transmission and that national institutions and data must underpin grid investment. During the Global Mutirão (collective effort) for Grids, partners welcomed the Grids Finance Principles, co-led by CCG: “We welcome the adoption of the Grids Finance Principles developed by the Green Grids Initiative” – Anand Gopal. The IDB’s new Power Transmission Acceleration Platform (PTAP) reflected similar alignment. And on digitalisation, IRENA stressed that grids require ethical and human-centred governance: “This is not a machine transition; this is a human transition” – Simon Benmarraze
Transport Decarbonisation is Finally Gaining Momentum
Transport, which is responsible for a quarter of global emissions, has long been marginal in climate negotiations. COP30 marked a turning point with the first Transport Pavilion in twenty years, co-organised with CCG. Partners highlighted the sector’s scale and financing gap: “Almost half of transport spending goes to high-income countries, though most needs are in LMICs” – Maruxa Cardama, SLOCAT who also added: “Emerging countries will require over USD 250 billion by 2050.”
Sectoral planning was repeatedly framed as iterative and nationally owned: “These plans are not perfect but they are a really good start-reviewed at every COP”said Peter Dale from DESNZ. Philipp Munziger of MAF added: “Transport mitigation delivers major co-benefits: air pollution, socio-economic outcomes and more.”
Another recurring concern was finance access for local authorities: “How can decentralised actors access climate finance when they are already financially disadvantaged in so many other ways?” asled Vivien Foster from CCG.
Across COP30, partners underscored that transport decarbonisation requires planning tools, regulatory reform, and finance strategies tailored to LMIC realities; an area where CCG’s integrated modelling – policy – finance approach is increasingly recognised as pivotal.
CCG is Seen as a Trusted Partner for Implementation
A final message stood out: CCG’s impact is not defined by producing external plans, but by helping countries build their own systems and expertise. Across Türkiye, Vietnam, Botswana and Uganda, and among partners such as IRENA, AfDB, CAF, GGGI, the NDC Partnership and 2050 Pathways, the feedback was consistent: CCG strengthens institutions, improves evidence, and turns ambition into credible, investment-ready strategies.
With Türkiye set to host COP31 and preparing to showcase its nationally owned modelling system developed with CCG and 2050 Pathways, 2026 offers a key opportunity to demonstrate how ownership, data, and investment-focused planning can accelerate real-economy climate action.