Efa Ravelonantoandro, Programme Manager of Environment and Sustainable Development at JM partner the Centre Arrupe Madagascar, attended COP30 in Brazil. He reflects on the negotiations and what it means for his organisation and his country.
Leaving Belém, I returned to Madagascar with a blend of determination and measured hope.
This hope does not deny the harsh reality faced by our communities those already living through droughts, cyclones, coastal erosion, and climate-induced displacement. Rather, it is grounded in the tangible progress achieved at COP30, including the commitment to triple public finance for adaptation by 2035 and the official adoption of the Just Transition Action Mechanism.
These outcomes acknowledge both the urgency of the climate crisis and the moral imperative to ensure that no nation or community is left behind in the global transformation ahead.
“Climate action, if it is to be credible and just, must also be socially transformative.”
Tripling adaptation funding represents a critical lifeline for countries like Madagascar the least responsible yet among the most vulnerable to the climate emergency. This renewed commitment has the potential to protect lives, secure livelihoods, and strengthen essential infrastructures already under threat.
Likewise, the Just Transition Mechanism signals a shift toward a more humane and inclusive climate agenda: one that places the dignity, rights, and future of workers and frontline communities at the center of decarbonisation efforts. Climate action, if it is to be credible and just, must also be socially transformative.
These decisions come at a defining moment for Centre Arrupe Madagascar, as we shape our Strategic Plan 2026–2030. The COP30 outcomes directly reinforce our new strategic axis: “Care for our Common Home: Climate Justice and Ecological Transition.”
Increased commitment to adaptation finance strengthens our mission to defend the rights and resilience of the most affected. Likewise, the Just Transition agenda aligns seamlessly with our work to support economic alternatives rooted in sustainability, equity, and ecological stewardship.
My hopes moving forward reflect the aspirations of civil society in Madagascar: more direct access to adaptation finance; better alignment with locally defined priorities, including our Nationally Determined Contributions; greater accountability in fund distribution; and institutionalised dialogue among all actors, government, private sector, unions, and communities alike.
As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year, we recognise that hope is not passive; it is a decision to act. For Centre Arrupe Madagascar, our future projects and capacity-building initiatives will become visible signs of hope in the lives of those who need it most.
By linking global commitments with concrete action, we step forward with conviction toward the effective protection of our Common Home and a more just and resilient future for all Malagasy people.
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