An Ebonyi-born businesswoman, Rosemary Nwakaego Emmanuel, has challenged world leaders to move beyond climate declarations and commitments and deliver concrete solutions to communities bearing the brunt of climate change.
Rosemary, who recently returned from the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the discussions at the global gathering exposed an urgent need for governments and development institutions to turn climate pledges into measurable action.
She said she listened to Presidents, Prime Ministers, Governors, Mayors, development finance institutions and climate leaders deliberate on the next phase of the global climate agenda.
According to her, the dominant message from the discussions was that the climate debate could no longer be sustained on promises and declarations without corresponding action.
‘One thing became very clear to me: the climate conversation has moved beyond promises. The world is asking for action that people can actually feel,’ Emmanuel said.
She identified climate finance, adaptation, climate justice, clean energy, resilience and local implementation as critical issues that dominated the conversations.
Rosemary said the growing impact of climate change was becoming increasingly visible and disruptive, making it imperative for climate finance to become faster, easier to access and more responsive to the needs of vulnerable communities.
She also highlighted the demands of Small Island Developing States for climate justice, arguing that their concerns should be treated as issues of fairness rather than charity.
The businesswoman said the global conversation on clean energy was also changing, with the issue increasingly linked not only to emissions reduction but also to energy security, economic opportunities, resilience and sustainable development.
She further noted that cities and subnational governments were becoming increasingly important in implementing climate policies because they operate closer to the people affected by climate-related challenges.
‘For me, one message stood out strongly: the world does not need more declarations without delivery,’ she said.
Rosemary said the approach to COP31 should therefore focus on translating commitments made at international gatherings into practical interventions that can produce measurable improvements in people’s lives.
She listed improved access to climate finance, increased investment in adaptation, stronger communities, greater support for vulnerable countries, practical solutions and faster implementation as areas requiring greater attention.
According to her, the credibility of future climate commitments would increasingly depend on whether they produced tangible results for people and communities.
‘As we move towards COP31, success should be measured not only by the ambition of our commitments but also by how effectively they translate into more accessible climate finance, greater investment in adaptation, stronger communities, stronger support for vulnerable countries, practical solutions, faster implementation and measurable results,’ she said.
She added, ‘The conversations matter, but the real work begins when commitments leave conference rooms and start to make a difference in people’s lives.’
She urged stakeholders preparing for COP31 to ensure that the voices and needs of communities most exposed to climate change remain central to the global climate agenda.