Synergies were the focus of multiple side events on 15 November during the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30). Other side events focused on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and land restoration.

An event on environmental synergies offered concrete examples of synergy in action with a view to build momentum ahead of the seventh meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), for which Japan is preparing a resolution to scale up synergies. 

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) shared insights from an upcoming Asia-Pacific Synergy Report. One speaker emphasized that synergies are critical for delivering on the SDGs and whole-of-society solutions as well as for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Another highlighted that synergies can reduce duplication of action, harmonize reporting requirements, and streamline and align action plans and strategies across the three Rio Conventions. On elements that should be sharpened and clarified, panelists stressed, inter alia, the need for ministries to speak to one another and creating shared standards and definitions for businesses. The event was organized by the Ministry of Environment Japan, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).

Another event focused on driving synergistic implementation of the Rio Conventions at COP 30 and beyond. The event saw the launch of the Plan to Accelerate the Solutions for synergistic implementation of the Rio Conventions and its host Synergies Collaboration Platform (SCP) to facilitate collaboration and coordination. Speakers included: Thiago Belote Silva, COP 30 Presidency and Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Brazil, who underscored his ministry’s integrated approach, which aims to build a “landscape” for action with built-in synergies; and Osama Faqeeha, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 16 Presidency and Deputy Minister for Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Saudi Arabia, who said the Riyadh Action Agenda recognizes the need to bring land, the ocean, and the atmosphere together.

A panel discussion highlighted that countries are increasingly integrating climate and biodiversity as part of their sustainable development pathways, but face challenges in breaking down silos and in understanding the complexity of instruments created by the Rio Conventions. One speaker described work to develop a checklist to help policy actors align nationally determined contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Speakers also mentioned the new Rio Policy Radar platform, which enables searches across submissions to the Rio Conventions. The event was organized by: SCP; the Presidencies of UNFCCC COP 30, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP 16, and UNCCD COP 16; the NDC Partnership, the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, UNFCCC, CBD, UNCCD, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). 

Private sector progress and solutions on land restoration to address climate change were the focus of another side event, which showcased the Riyadh Action Agenda – a global platform aimed at mobilizing coordinated action among states and non-state actors in support of global land restoration and drought resilience goals. The session also highlighted:

• Strong private sector momentum, with the COP 28 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes (AARL) reporting more than USD 9 billion in investment mobilized since its launch;
• The Riyadh Action Agenda has surpassed 100 supporting initiatives; and
• The Business4Land platform, created to ensure that companies integrate climate, land, and biodiversity objectives rather than focus on climate alone.

On the AARL, one speaker announced: that the Landscape Accelerator Brazil (LAB), launched under the AARL, will offer a private sector-led process to support regenerative transformation across the Cerrado and the Amazon; and the forthcoming launch of the Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net Zero Land Degradation (RAIZ) initiative.

Participants also explored cross-sectoral approaches to land as an anchor for climate and nature solutions, including finance as a lever for restoration, collaborative models, and innovation, with speakers highlighting, among others, the need for stronger recognition of land tenure challenges, better engagement with soil scientists, and greater involvement of the insurance sector in de-risking restoration projects. The event was organized by AARL, WBCSD, Climate High-Level Champions, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and the Riyadh Action Agenda.

The role of non-state actors in delivering CCS was the focus of a side event, which examined the growing uptake of CCS across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Speakers presented scientific insights, recent project advances, and emerging initiatives that signal increasing CCS readiness in the region. One speaker highlighted the most recent Global Status of CCS report, which finds that 77 operational projects currently capture 64 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. 

The first panel addressed the role of non-state actors in technology transfer, with speakers addressing concerns about long-term storage integrity and agreeing that pilot projects play an important role by bringing together government, industry, and academia. The second panel explored the role of non-state actors in project development, with one speaker noting the CCS value chain requires coordination between multiple sectors as progress often stalls when responsibility falls primarily on oil and gas companies. The event was organized by the University of Texas at Austin, the International Energy Agency (IEA) Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG), Bellona, CCS Association (CCSA), and the International CCS Knowledge Centre (ICCSKC).