COP30 official side event – Mountain areas: Interlinkages between the biodiversity and climate change agendas

Date and time

Date: 14 November 2025

Time: 18:30-20:00 Belém time

Location: Side Event Room 7, Blue Zone, UNFCCC COP30

About the event

This side event took place during the UNFCCC COP30, and provided an opportunity to explore mountains as critical spaces for integrated climate and biodiversity action, and showcase challenges and adaptation solutions from mountain regions around the world.

The event explored the needs of mountain areas and help shed light on how Parties may advance their climate agendas in these ecosystems that receive less attention in global negotiations, despite their relative vulnerability and exposure. It provided solutions for countries to take meaningful action that will address the intertwined goals of the climate change and biodiversity agendas.

The aim of the session was to:

• Highlight progress on mountains under UNFCCC and CBD and areas of leverage and convergence leading towards COP30.
• Highlight the interconnections between climate change impacts and biodiversity loss in mountain ecosystems, using region-specific data and evidence to illustrate the urgency and scale of these converging crises.
• Position mountain ecosystems as critical spaces for integrated climate and biodiversity action, showcasing regional governance mechanisms that address both challenges coherently within the frameworks of the CBD and UNFCCC.
• Showcase speakers implementing biodiversity and climate change efforts and solutions in their countries’ mountains as good practice examples and how they can ensure effective adaptation practices

Speakers

Opening Remarks

Secretary Dr. Rajendra P Mishra, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Nepal

High-level panelists
Mr. Tenzin Khorlo, Deputy Joint Secretary, Water Department, Bhutan

Ms. Ani Ghukasyan, Senior Specialist of Climate Policy Department at the Ministry of Environment, the Republic of Armenia

Ms. Cristina Rodríguez, Environmental Minister of Perú, General Director of Climate Change and Desertification, Perú

Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Joint Secretary and Chief of Climate Change Division, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Nepal, UNFCCC Focal Point

Ms. Dinara Kemelova, Ambassador, Special Envoy of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on mountain issues

Policy brief presentation
Luis Daniel Llambí, CONDESAN

Roundtable discussion
Kunzang, Global Lead, ICIMOD
Mirey Attalah, Chief of Adaptation and Resilience Branch, UNEP
María Arguello, Executive Director, CONDESAN
Amy Duchelle, Senior Forestry Officer, FAO
Valeria Rondón, Executive of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, Development Bank of Latin America

Moderated by
Alex Mackey, Project Manager, Zoï Environment Network

Event summary

Countries highlighted the urgent need to bring mountains and the cryosphere into policies, with Nepal underscoring that biodiversity and climate change are inseparable, and that ecosystem resilience and CBD–UNFCCC synergies must be strengthened. Bhutan emphasized integrating mountains into NDC and NBSAP processes, insisting that mountains matter and their biodiversity–climate change linkages are fundamental. Armenia expressed its willingness to act as a facilitator and reiterated its commitment to mountains ahead of its CBD COP 17 Presidency, where it has the opportunity to highlight synergies. Kyrgyzstan stressed that mountains remain marginalized in CBD and UNFCCC, reaffirming its national commitment and pointing toward Bishkek 2027 as a milestone to review the five years of action on mountains, guided by the principle of leaving no one behind—not only people but also ecosystems, fauna and flora. Peru noted that its first NAP already recognized the importance of mountains, and that its recent NDC includes adaptation measures related to water, early warning systems, and water harvesting, while highlighting the relevance and urgency to address the consequences of glacier retreat on water availability, high-altitude ecosystems. Peru expressed hope for consensus in establishing an annual dialogue on mountains as part of the and committed to actively advancing mountain-related agendas.

After the country statements, several organizations took the floor, followed by CONDESAN’s presentation of the Policy Pathways under the CBD and UNFCCC. Across all organizations contributing to the discussion, there was a clear and consistent recognition of the need to elevate mountains within global climate and biodiversity agendas. ICIMOD highlighted ongoing efforts through the Work Programme on Mountain Biodiversity and the development of GGA indicators. CONDESAN emphasized that countries’ next steps should focus on strengthening science–policy engagement, ensuring that mountain knowledge informs national plans, strategies, and legislation, and positioning mountains more prominently in global frameworks. The FAO and Mountain Partnership Secretariat congratulated the community for elevating the topic, noting the richness of the recent Expert Dialogue on Mountains and Cimate Change and stressing the importance of aligning NDCs and NAPs while strengthening biodiversity-based adaptation services. UNEP underscored the severe challenges faced at high altitudes, the need to incorporate temperature changes and the lack of climate analogues in mountains when planning for adaptation, and called for transformational approaches supported by flexible, high-quality finance and adaptive management. CAF pointed to the persistent lack of attention to mountains in climate negotiations and the complexity of addressing them, advocating for territorial approaches, stronger synergies between ecosystem restoration, biodiversity, and climate action, and alignment with both the Paris Agreement and biodiversity goals. They also highlighted the shared challenges of regional mountain geographies and the importance of valuing ecosystems, particularly the economic and strategic value of water.

The side event was co-organized by Zoï Environment Network, CONDESAN, ICIMOD, UNEP and the governments of Bhutan and Nepal as part of the Adaptation at Altitude programme.