• Global Initiative on Jobs and Skills outlines potential for more than 650 million climate-related jobs over the next decade
• Six countries join the new Global Initiative for Information Integrity as disinformation emerges as a material climate risk
• Public procurement, cultural heritage, and fiduciary-aligned investment frameworks take center stage as COP30 shifts from pledges to practical mechanisms

A Day Shaped by People, Skills and Cultural Power

Delegates closed day three of COP30 with a message that cut through the noise: the human dimension of climate action is shifting from rhetoric to implementation. The launch of the Global Initiative on Jobs and Skills for the New Economy set the tone, positioning workforce development not as an adjunct to climate policy but as a foundational pillar. The Initiative’s flagship report projected that the transition could generate 375 million new jobs in mitigation and low-carbon industries, with a further 280 million coming from adaptation activity.

The group is already working with governments and employers to integrate labour planning into national transition strategies. Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, and Egypt are the first committed partners. Its operational plan aims to expand coordination to more than 20 countries and 40 institutions by 2028, reflecting a belief that workforce readiness is now central to competitiveness in a low-carbon economy.

Elevating Indigenous Governance in Adaptation Planning

The day’s ministerial dialogue on Indigenous Adaptation pushed negotiations into more grounded territory. Leaders from the Amazon to the Arctic described how local governance models, ancestral knowledge and land stewardship offer practical frameworks for adaptation. Brazil’s Indigenous Council of Roraima presented five adaptation plans already developed with communities in the region, prompting interest in replication across other Indigenous territories.

Delegates noted that these approaches are beginning to influence the indicator framework of the Global Goal on Adaptation. The roundtable’s underlying argument was clear: climate resilience cannot be delivered without embedding Indigenous governance and rights into national climate planning.

Information Integrity Emerges as a Formal COP Priority

For the first time at a UN climate conference, information integrity featured prominently on the action agenda. Delegations from Belgium, Canada, Finland, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands joined the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, expanding its reach as concerns rise about the impact of disinformation on public trust, climate investment and democratic consensus.

The Initiative outlined a plan through 2028: support for legal frameworks in at least ten countries, mobilisation of USD 10 million via UNESCO’s fund with a priority on the Global South, and development of a Charter of Principles for Accountable Climate Advertising to be adopted by major publishers, digital platforms and AI firms. Ten funded projects were also announced, alongside a dialogue process that will run through COP31.

Leveraging Public Procurement and Investor Capital

Attention then turned to systemic levers capable of shifting markets at scale. UNIDO and the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative launched a plan to align public procurement with just-transition goals across cement, concrete and steel. Brazil, Mexico, Norway and the Netherlands confirmed participation, with other governments in active discussion. Given the multi-trillion-dollar value of global public procurement, proponents argued that aligning purchasing standards with low-carbon requirements could create durable industrial demand signals that influence emissions trajectories.

Separately, the Asset Owners Summit brought together major investors to shape a unified message for Finance Day. Discussions centred on transition finance, risk allocation, and the policy conditions needed to catalyse capital flows into emerging markets. Asset owners agreed to deliver a read-out to finance ministers, linking fiduciary responsibility with climate-aligned deployment.

RELATED ARTICLE: COP30 Day 2 Recap

Culture and Youth as Drivers of Public Engagement

Culture took an unusually prominent role on the agenda. A new plan to integrate cultural heritage into national adaptation plans was launched by the Group of Friends for Culture-Based Climate Action. Ministers, artists and Indigenous leaders described how narrative and identity can influence public understanding of climate risk. The panel on storytelling drew wide attention, blending creative expression, activism and policy in a way that resonated with delegates.

Youth Climate Champions added pressure for intergenerational governance, urging decision-makers to treat justice and participation as non-negotiable components of climate strategy. In parallel, Maloca’s People’s Circle continued discussions on racial justice, Indigenous rights and community-led solutions, reinforcing that climate action depends on more than national targets.

Negotiations Move Forward

Negotiators described the mood as constructive, aided by close engagement with observers and civil society. Delegates framed the day’s progress as evidence that multilateral cooperation can still deliver momentum in a fragmented geopolitical climate.

As COP30 enters its next phase, the emphasis on people, skills, culture and governance suggests a strategic shift: climate delivery is increasingly inseparable from social infrastructure, accountability, and public trust. Decisions made here will shape whether the transition creates broad-based opportunity or deepens global inequities — a question that continues to define the climate economy.

Follow ESG News on LinkedIn