Belize Secures New Climate Funding Opportunities at COP30

Belize returned from the global climate summit in Belém, Brazil, with access to over US$250 million in new climate-related funding. According to the Ministry of Sustainable Development’s report to Cabinet, the country made tangible gains in financing, influence, and international engagement.

According to the report, Belize is now eligible for several major grant windows covering housing, protected areas, early warning systems, technology upgrades, and resilience-building initiatives. The ministry said these practical benefits reflect growing confidence from international partners in Belize’s climate leadership.

Though Belize does not walk away from COP with “millions and millions” in hand, Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change Orlando Habet stressed that negotiations opened doors to new project opportunities. “I went just for a few days, and most of my participation was to have bilateral meetings with individuals or countries where I think we can get some projects that will benefit Belize,” he said.

Habet also pointed to the country’s strengthened role in global negotiations. “I think for us, it was a success because we took some young persons who were there for the first time and some second-year,” he said. “We were able to fit them in within the negotiating groups that we belong to with AOSIS and within the regional sector.”

Habet added that Belize also expanded its presence inside major blocs. “We have the G77 and China of which we also belong, and we were able to fit our people in there. We actually won some seats on some of those groups, which we will be leading or chairing, or we will be members of certain boards.”

Habet argued that each summit brings its own outcomes. “I think for us, we made some huge steps forward,” he explained. He highlighted Belize’s role on the Loss and Damage fund board, saying the country will “be able to guide policy towards that.”