As delivered.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and colleagues,

It is a privilege to be with you today, here in Belém, at a moment when the world is seeking not only to accelerate climate action, but to deliver real economic transformation.

I Thank you to UNCTAD for hosting this session, bringing together key actors from across the global system to explore how trade and investment can accelerate decarbonization, economic diversification, and sustainable value chains — themes that sit at the very heart of the Belém outcomes and the next phase of the implementation of pledges under the Paris Agreement.

As we meet here in Belém, the gateway to the Amazon, the message could not be clearer: sustainable trade and investment are not parallel to climate action — they are central to achieving it. The way we trade, invest, and produce will define whether we succeed in delivering the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Trade and Climate Action: A Shared Opportunity
At UNDP, we see climate action not only as an environmental imperative, but also as an engine for economic prosperity. Across our global network, we support nearly 150 developing countries to implement and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions as practical blueprints for sustainable development.

Through this work, one insight stands out: climate action can be a driver of competitiveness and inclusive growth when coupled with smart trade and investment policies. By aligning climate and trade strategies, countries can diversify their economies into low-emissions sectors, foster innovation, and build resilient, sustainable value chains that create jobs and opportunities for all.

Bridging the Finance Gap for NDCs

This is more important than ever. Hurricane Melissa and the tornado in Rio remind us of the stakes for delivering on the NDCs and the urgent need to accelerate action. 

At the COP30 Leader’s Summit, the UN Secretary-General called up on UNDP to leverage the Climate Promise – which has supported more than 90% of developing country NDCs over the last ten years – to coordinate the UN system for the implementation of NDCs.

The next phase of support, “Climate Promise: Forward” will focus on implementation through four interconnected areas:

1. Policy – strengthening governance, institutional capacity, and coherence across the Rio 
   Conventions.
2. Finance – scaling up public and private investment for NDCs, using innovative tools such as 
   carbon markets and green bonds.
3. Solutions – accelerating integrated approaches to decarbonization, resilience building, and 
   addressing loss and damage.
4. Engagement – ensuring whole-of-society ownership through inclusive participation and 
   capacity building.

Climate Promise: Forward includes building synergies across trade, finance, and technology to unlock the trillions needed for the transition to sustainable and inclusive economies.

Together with governments, the private sector, and development finance institutions, UNDP is helping more than 140 countries and territories design and implement policies that attract investment into clean energy, sustainable agriculture, green industries, and circular economy sectors. Through its Climate Promise and Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP manages an active climate portfolio exceeding US $2 billion, while mobilizing over US $7 billion in co-financing for climate-aligned investments.

These approaches are delivering results: in Uzbekistan, green value-chain support increased processed fruit and nut exports to 45 million dollars in 2022 — a 50 percent rise over a decade. In the Western Balkans, 16.5 million euros in green-transition investments are helping local enterprises compete in low-carbon markets. And across Africa, renewable-energy partnerships have provided 30 million people with access to clean power while cutting over 40 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

These are more than numbers — they are proof that trade and investment can be catalysts for low-carbon growth, turning climate ambition into new markets, decent jobs, and sustainable prosperity.

Today’s discussion is part of that collective journey — to connect policy innovation, investment flows, and real solutions that can help countries deliver on their climate and development goals simultaneously.

UNDP stands ready to work with all partners — including UNCTAD, WTO, and other UN agencies — to help countries navigate this new global trade landscape, ensuring that climate ambition strengthens, not fragments, multilateralism.

Let us remember that sustainable trade is not just about goods crossing borders. It is about ideas, innovation, and opportunities crossing boundaries — to create shared prosperity on a planet that thrives.

Together, we can make trade and investment the driving forces of transformation — for a 
decarbonized, diversified, and sustainable future for all.

Thank you.