Tukio la Kiwango cha Juu la COP30 kuhusu Ushuru wa Mshikamano

Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition Growing

— More countries called upon to join before the end of COP —

15 November 2025, Belém — Today, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force (GSLTF) held its COP30 High-Level Event on Solidarity Levies in Belém, Brazil.

The event highlighted the deepening commitment to the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition, initially introduced in June in Seville at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development under the Sevilla Action Platform.

The Coalition now includes Benin, Djibouti, France, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, and Spain and reflects our collective determination to advance this agenda. We also welcome Antigua and Barbuda, Brazil, Fiji, and Vanuatu as observers, underscoring the growing commitment to this shared approach.

Laurence Tubiana, COP30 Special Envoy to Europe; Co-Lead, Global Solidarity Levies Task Force today said:

“The launch of the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition proves that solidarity levies can move from ideas to reality. This is only the first step. Now I call on more countries to join us at COP30 and turn this momentum into lasting global change.”

New Report on The Untapped Potential of Solidarity Levies, a Practical Guide for Governments

The Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition is only meant to be the first of its kind. The Baku-to-Belém Roadmap outlined the urgent need to scale debt-free financing and gave several levy options. Building on the Roadmap, the secretariat of the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force now published its latest report, The Untapped Potential of Solidarity Levies. The report outlines the possible future of the Task Force’s work post-COP30, setting out ten recommendations on the future agenda for solidarity levies on topics including fossil fuels, financial transactions, aviation, shipping, and cryptocurrencies. The Report is a concrete tool for governments looking into operationalizing the Baku-to-Belém Roadmap and delivering on their obligation to provide and mobilize climate finance.

Quotes from the High-Level Event:

Amb. Ali Mohamed,  Special Envoy for Climate Change, Kenya said: “A year after setting a $300 billion goal, we all know that this is only a fraction of what is needed. With public finances under pressure and vulnerable countries unable to take on more debt, solidarity levies on high-emitting activities offer a fair and effective solution. The Premium Flyers Coalition shows that those who are best able to pay can help to generate the debt-free public finance that developing nations require. This marks the beginning of a new era, where fairness, equity and solidarity will shape climate action. I urge all countries to join us and turn this principle into policy.”

Amb. Benoît Faraco,  Ambassador in charge of climate change negotiations, carbon-free energy, and climate risk prevention, France, said: “There’s a clear recognition of the role of solidarity levies in the Baku-Belém Roadmap, it’s up to us to now deliver on this. Our top priority now is expanding the Premium Flyers Solidarity Coalition. COP30 is about implementation, about delivering on the spirit of the Paris Agreement, and solidarity levies capture exactly that spirit. We welcome the new members and are calling on all countries to join us to support this coalition at COP30 so that we can have the largest coalition possible.”

Amb. María del Mar Fernández-Palacios, Spanish Ambassador to Brazil said: “Let me start with a stark reminder: the threat to global stability is real, and we need fair, predictable, debt-free finance that does not burden ordinary citizens. That is why Spain is joining others in advancing solidarity levies. Those who pollute more should contribute more, and a levy on premium flyers can generate billions for climate resilience, adaptation, and sustainable development. This is only the beginning. We must expand this coalition, work on other possibilities and prove that multilateralism can still deliver. For us, solidarity levies are multilateralism in action.”

Dini Omar, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Djibouti said: “For Djibouti, climate resilience is inseparable from our prosperity and security, yet the resources we have are falling far short and traditional loans only deepen our debt. We need additional, predictable, highly concessional public finance. Solidarity levies provide exactly that—fair, debt-free resources from high-emitting activities. The Premium Flyers Coalition is a powerful first step, and Djibouti is proud to stand with the co-chairs. If we are serious about delivering the Baku–Belém Roadmap to $1.3 trillion, now is the moment for all countries to join.”

Olamide Fagbuji, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Climate Technology and Operations said: “Our communities are not short of ideas, only the resources to realize them. That is why solidarity levies are essential. Nigeria supports premium-flyer levies as a fair and practical way to close adaptation and resilience gaps. For the Global South, this is not charity—it is shared responsibility. We stand ready to help turn solidarity levies into a global instrument.”

Amb. Ruleta Camacho Thomas, Climate Ambassador, Antigua and Barbuda said: “For small island states like Antigua and Barbuda, every climate impact drains scarce public revenue and threatens our development. Resilience is not optional for us—it is the condition for our survival. That is why new sources of resilience finance are both responsible and necessary. Solidarity levies can provide the grant-based finance urgently needed for resilience, adaptation, and loss and damage.”

Diana Acconcia, Director for International Affairs and Climate Finance, Directorate-General for Climate Action of the European Commission said:  “Solidarity levies align with the EU’s core principle that polluters should pay. While the EU remains the largest provider of climate finance, we know new sources are essential—and they must reach the most vulnerable. This coalition shows that developed and developing countries can contribute in different ways based on their circumstances, and it offers a model of cooperation in a politically fractured world. We are happy to continue supporting this effort.”

Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General; ASG, Climate Action Team said: “If this COP has made anything clear, it is that the next decade must be one of acceleration powered by non-debt finance. With the world facing a temporary overshoot of 1.5°C, solidarity levies offer a fair, feasible way to raise billions in grant finance and ensure those with the highest carbon footprint contribute most. Let COP30 be the moment we expand this coalition, uphold transparency, and make solidarity the norm in climate finance.”

Jennifer Morgan, Former Special Envoy for International Climate Action, Germany said: “The task force’s report makes clear that small, fair levies can extend far beyond aviation. Our priority now is bringing more governments into the Premium Flyers Coalition while exploring the full potential of solidarity levies, from fossil fuels to financial transactions. Even though the International Maritime Organization (IMO) didn’t pass, momentum is growing. People see rising inequality, and they know that taxing billionaires and private jets is both fair and necessary.”

Amar Bhattacharya, Senior Fellow, Global Economy & Development, Brookings Institution and member of the GSLTF expert group, said: “The Baku to Belém roadmap is clear: we need $1.3 trillion in climate finance, including $350 billion in debt-free concessional funds for adaptation, resilience, and the more than $300 billion in loss and damage costs by 2035. Even if bilateral finance doubles and South-South cooperation grows, a $160–170 billion gap remains,and that is where solidarity levies fit. The COP30 report shows major revenue potential, from premium tickets to kerosene taxes, all rooted in the polluter-pays principle. With the world’s back against the wall, we must tap every viable source.”

Luiz Awazu Pereira da Silva, Economist, former Deputy General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)  and member of the GSLTF expert group, said: “The technical work ensures our numbers are solid. The new simulator shows that the broader the coalition and the fairer the levy design, the higher the revenue. With reasonable assumptions, solidarity levies could provide 10–30% of the $1.3 trillion we need—a significant, stable source of concessional finance for vulnerable countries. We now have a rigorous, economics-based model to guide our action.”

Notes to the editors:

Kuhusu Kikosi Kazi cha Global Solidarity Levies

The Kikosi Kazi cha Global Solidarity Levies is co-chaired by President Macron, President Ruto and Prime Minister Mottley. It is responsible for designing proposals for solidarity levies on undertaxed sectors that contribute disproportionately more to global carbon emissions, are undertaxed and benefit extensively from globalization. These solidarity levies can help generate finance for climate and development action. The Task Force was formed following the Nairobi Climate Declaration, Paris Pact for People and Planet, and Bridgetown Initiative.

Wasiliana

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