The UN Global Environment Programme (UNEP) presented a report on Thursday in which it concludes that it is urgent for developed countries to increase funding for climate change adaptation, especially in developing countries.
‘The Adaptation Gap Report 2022: Too Little, Too Slow: Failing Climate Adaptation Puts the World at Risk’ warns that as compacts accelerate, adaptation must become a «global priority» and notes that although more than eight out of ten parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have adaptation planning mechanisms in place, estimated adaptation costs are five to ten times greater than international financial flows of adaptation to developing countries.
During the release of the Emissions Gap Report published in recent days by UNEP, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented that adaptation needs in the developing world are expected to soar to 340 billion a year by 2030. «Yet support for adaptation today represents less than a tenth of that amount. The most vulnerable people and communities are paying the price. This is unacceptable,» he said.
In this sense, a few days before the start of the XXVII UN Climate Summit that will begin on Monday in Sharm-El Sheik (Egypt), he insisted that adaptation must be treated with a «seriousness that reflects the equal value of all members of the human family». That is why Guterres believes it is time for a global review of climate adaptation that leaves aside excuses and takes the toolbox to solve the problems,» he added.
For her part, UNEP’s executive director, Inger Andersen, has denounced that climate change is hitting humanity with one blow after another, as was viscerally proven throughout 2022 in the floods that submerged a large part of Pakistan.
«The world must urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the impacts of climate change. But we must also urgently increase efforts to adapt to the impacts that are already here and those to come,» he argued.
Therefore, nations need to back up the strong words of the Glasgow Climate Pact with strong actions to scale up adaptation investments and outcomes, starting at COP27,» he added.
The report highlights the multi-year drought in the Horn of Africa, unprecedented flooding in South Asia and intense summer heat in the northern hemisphere point to increased climate risks. These impacts are occurring at just 1.1 °C above pre-industrial temperatures.
The recently published Emissions Gap Report warned that the current path leads to global warming of 2.4 to 2.6°C by the end of the century, when the Paris Agreement aims for a target of no more than 1.5°C of temperature by 2100 globally.
Funding to turn these plans into action does not follow. International adaptation finance flows to developing countries are 5 to 10 times lower than estimated needs and the gap continues to widen. International adaptation finance flows to developing countries reached US$29 billion in 2020, donor countries reported, an increase of 4 percent over 2019.
UNEP estimates that combined funding flows for adaptation and mitigation in 2020 fell to at least US$17 billion, below the US$100 billion pledged for developing countries.
Significant acceleration is needed if 2019 financial flows are to double by 2025, as urged by the Glasgow Climate Compact. Estimated annual adaptation needs are $160 billion to $340 billion by 2030 and $315 billion to $565 billion by 2050.
Implementation of adaptation actions, concentrated in agriculture, water, ecosystems and cross-cutting sectors, is increasing, but not keeping up with climate impacts. Without a radical shift in support, adaptation actions could be overtaken by accelerating climate risks.
