Speaking at the Belem Climate Change Summit 2025 in Brazil, Minister Napwon warned that the world is running out of time to protect its most vulnerable populations from worsening climate disasters.
She said countries like South Sudan are already reeling from devastating floods, prolonged droughts, heatwaves, and unpredictable rainfall, which have severely disrupted livelihoods and increased community vulnerability.
“The successful implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for countries such as South Sudan is heavily reliant on access to predictable and sufficient climate finance,” Napwon stressed. “We advocate that the new collective quantitative goal under negotiation be ambitious, grant-oriented, and inclusive of direct access for less developed and fragile states.”
Citing UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ warning that the world is “on the brink of overshooting the 1.5°C threshold,” Napwon said the global window for decisive action is closing rapidly, and further delay could endanger millions of lives.
She emphasized that mobilizing USD 1.3 trillion yearly by 2035 would not only accelerate climate adaptation and mitigation but also empower vulnerable nations to implement their NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
“For South Sudan, the coming decade must focus on translating climate commitments into finance and tangible action on the ground,” she said. “Empowering communities with resources and knowledge is the key to resilience and prosperity.”
Napwon welcomed the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund, but criticized its current level of funding as inadequate to meet the urgent needs of frontline nations. She called for full capitalization of the fund to ensure that climate-vulnerable countries can recover and rebuild.
The minister reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, advocating for stronger cooperation under its Article 6, which focuses on technology transfer, capacity building, and climate finance.
She concluded by extending President Salva Kiir’s appreciation to international partners for their ongoing support and urged nations to make COP30 a “summit of action, not words.”
“South Sudan stands ready to engage constructively at COP30,” Napwon affirmed, pledging her country’s continued commitment to sustainable development and global climate solidarity.
