Tue 09 November 2021 View all news

Adaptation, Loss and Damage day

World leaders committed $450m for initiatives and programmes to enhance locally-led approaches to adaptation while new members joined the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance.

Amongst the initiatives announced today were: 

  • A commitment by leders to a shift towards locally-led adaptation through over 70 endorsements to the  Principles for Locally Led Adaptation and over $450m mobilised for initiatives and programmes enhancing locally-led approaches.
  • The Race to Resilience campaign brings together initiatives that are strengthening the urban, coastal and rural resilience of 2 billion people worldwide.
  • Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the African Development Bank (AfDB)  committed to a balanced approach to climate finance and joined the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance.
  • $232 million has been committed to the Adaptation Fund. Commitments came from the USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Qatar, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the Quebec and Flanders governments.
  • The UK has announced £290 million in new funding for adaptation today, including £274 million for the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme.
  • 88 countries are now covered by Adaptation Communications or National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to increase preparedness to climate risks, with 38 published in the last year.

In his statement at the press conference announcing week two of COP26,  COP President Alok Sharma said:

"Today is, as you know, Adaptation and Loss and Damage Day. And these topics, of course, are more important than ever.  As we know, over the last year we have seen extreme weather changes across the world. 

"From floods in Central Europe and China, wildfires in North America and Australia...

"Nowhere is immune to climate change and this is precisely why we must come together to forge global agreement here in Glasgow,  responding to adaptation needs which is vital."

Speaking about the progress at COP26 more broadly, Sharma said: 

"Here in Glasgow we have a unique opportunity to reach an historic outcome and I am committed to bringing countries together. We want to forge an agreement that means we see more action this decade to help keep the limit of 1.5 degree global temperature rise in reach...

"Climate vulnerable communities are particularly at the forefront of my mind, and will be so throughout these negotiations. They, and the generations to come, will not forgive us if we fail to deliver in Glasgow."

 

Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@mbaumi

 

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