India, Oct. 29 -- Despite the slow response to climate action by most countries this year, Brazil, the COP30 host, is hopeful that more nationally determined contributions will trickle in before the end of the year and that COP30 will move beyond polarising talks on finance. Brazil will launch the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a new financing model designed to value standing forests as essential global assets. This will be a key highlight of the climate talks, Ana Toni, CEO, COP30 Presidency, said to HT in an interview. Edited excerpts:

Q. Few countries have updated their NDCs so far. Are you expecting updated submissions from the EU and India?

A. At the UN Climate Summit in September, around 125 countries pledged to submit n...