The Adaptation Gap Report 2022 was announced ahead of the United Nations climate conference COP27, which opens this weekend in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
It calls for increased funding and actions to help vulnerable countries and communities adapt to the climate emergency in the face of growing risks.
It is estimated that annual adaptation needs are between $160 billion and $340 billion by the end of the decade and up to $565 billion by 2050.
Urgent action now
“Climate change is coming” blow after blow about humanity, as we have seen throughout 2022: viscerally the flood left much of Pakistan under water,” speak Inger Andersen, UNEP Managing director.
“The world must urgent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions limit the effects of climate change. But we must also urgently ramp up efforts to adapt to the effects already here and the ones to come.”
The report emphasizes that adaptation, as well as mitigation, must be front and center in the global response to the climate crisis.
The impact will only increase
Below the 2015 mark Paris Agreement on climate changeCountries have pledged to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures but have yet to achieve results.
Floods in Pakistan and other current impacts, such as the historic Horn of Africa drought, are occurring as global temperatures rise by just 1.1°C above pre-war levels Karma.
In a companion report Earlier this week, UNEP said that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the national plan by governments to tackle climate change – target global warming of up to 2.6 °C by the end of this century.
Furthermore, research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that climate risk will increase by tenths of a degree.
Unable to protect
For UN Secretary General António GuterresThe report makes it clear that the world is failing to protect people from what he calls the “here and now effects” of climate change.
“The need for adaptation in developing countries is set to soar up to $340 billion a year by 2030. However, today’s adaptation support stands at less than one tenth among them, “he” speak in an announcement marking the launch.
“The most vulnerable people and communities are paying the price. This is unacceptable.”
The report found that progress on adaptation was “slow and flawed”.
80% of countries have at least one national adaptation planning tool, while a third of the 197 governments are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) incorporated quantitative and time-bound targets for adaptation.
Sponsorship issues
In addition, almost 90% of planning tools have taken into consideration gender and disadvantaged groups, such as indigenous peoples.
However, funding for these plans remains the key point. Adaptation costs are estimated to be 5 to 10 times larger than international financial flows for adaptation to developing countries, reaching $29 billion in 2020, up 4% year-on-year.
By 2020, the combined flow of adaptation and mitigation finance has fallen by at least $17 billion from the $100 billion committed annually to developing countries.
UNEP says significant scaling is needed to meet target double its 2019 financial flows by 2025, as highlighted in the results of the global climate conference COP26, held last year in Glasgow, Scotland.
“Countries need to support strong words in Glasgow Climate Pact with strong action to increase investment and adaptation outcomes, starting with COP27,” said Ms. Andersen.
Meanwhile, although the implementation of adaptation actions – mainly in agriculture, water, ecosystems and cross-sectoral sectors – is increasing, it has not kept pace with the impacts of climate and climate change. could be overtaken by rapidly increasing climate risks.
‘No time to wander’
Stressing the need for strong political will to increase investment and outcomes, the Secretary-General said that the adaptation gap must be addressed in four important ways.
“The world must step up and protect people and communities from the immediate and growing dangers of the climate emergency. We have no time to lose,” he warned.
The UN chief called for a significant increase in the quantity and quality of finance so that developed countries can achieve their goal of doubling support for adaptation to $40 billion a year by 2025.
‘At COP27, they have to present a reliable roadmap with clear milestones on how this will be done — preferably grants, not loans,” said Mr. Guterres.
“They must also use their influence as government shareholders of multilateral development banks to Prioritize adaptation, resilience and vulnerability. At least half of climate finance should go towards adaptation. ”
Investment Pipeline ‘Unblock’
He continues to need a new business model to translate adaptation priorities into investable projects, pointing to a mismatch between what governments propose and what financiers see as viable. investment possible.
“The investment pipeline is clogged; we have to unlock it now. We need global rise in adaptive investment to save millions of lives from climate carnage. The time has come for unprecedented coordination between host governments, development partners and other financiers, he said.
Concerningly, the Secretary-General has requested the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), NDC Partners and several climate funds to work with public and private financiers to pilot a new Adaptive Pipeline Accelerator for target countries.
Children search for wood chips to help parents rebuild their home after it was destroyed by the strong winds of Hurricane Iota in Nicaragua.
Early warning saves lives
Mr. Guterres emphasized the need for “much better data and information on climate risks”, his third point, which is important to protect lives and livelihoods in countries and communities. vulnerable.
On his last point, the UN chief stressed the importance of making his call for universal early warning systems within five years. He called for the financial and technical support needed to implement an action plan that the World Meteorological Organization (World Meteorological Organization)WMO) will be presented at COP27.
While these priority areas require unprecedented international cooperation and support, he also acknowledged that in many places, it’s too late to adapt.
Therefore, COP27 must provide a clear and time-bound roadmap for closing the financial gap for settlement of loss and damagean issue he said would be “a central test of success” in Egypt.
