Global Leaders Double Down on Climate Adaptation at GCA Leaders’ Dialogue
Global Center on Adaptation gathered representatives from 45 nations, including over 10 heads of state and government during the 79th United Nations General Assembly to accelerate climate adaptation action.
U
nited Nations, New York, 24 September 2024 – As the climate crisis intensifies, global leaders convened at the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Leaders’ Dialogue during the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The event gathered representatives from 45 nations, including over 10 Heads of State and Government from African and Small Island States. Together, they committed to accelerating decisive action on climate adaptation, united in the shared mission to protect vulnerable communities and strengthen global resilience.
Under the theme “Global Partnership for Doubling Down on Adaptation Action,” leaders expressed consensus on the urgent need to ramp up efforts in climate adaptation. Key discussions focused on doubling international adaptation finance by 2025, scaling up the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), and promoting nature-based solutions.
Ban Ki-moon, Honorary Chair of GCA and 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, stressed the critical need for immediate action. “The climate crisis is accelerating, and adaptation is the agenda that saves lives now. We must double down and ensure that the most vulnerable nations are protected.”
The dialogues underscored the significance of the AAAP, which has mainstreamed climate adaptation into over $10 billion of development investments across 41 African countries. With a target of $25 billion by 2025, the program is on track but requires intensified efforts to reach its full potential. Leaders also endorsed the launch of a new Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Adaptation Acceleration Program (SAAP) at COP29.
“The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) has proven to be a powerful force for change in Africa. We need to maintain this momentum and ensure that we not only meet but exceed our $25 billion target by 2025, while planning for even more ambitious action in the years ahead,” said Macky Sall, Chair of GCA and the 4th President of Senegal.
The discussions also addressed broader challenges, including the need for debt relief for vulnerable nations and reform of the international financial system to integrate climate adaptation. Initiatives like the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility and the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4P) were spotlighted as critical tools for helping countries achieve these goals.
Professor Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of GCA, emphasized, ““We stand at a critical crossroads in our collective fight against the climate crisis. The decisions we make now will define the futures of generations to come. Today, we are not just reaffirming our commitments; we are doubling down on them. It is time to transform pledges into action and mobilize resources at the scale required to protect the most vulnerable. Our resolve must be unwavering, and our efforts must be immediate and ambitious. This is the moment to unite, innovate, and deliver the resilient future that every community on this planet deserves.”
The communique issued after the event outlined several key outcomes:
- Double Down on Climate Adaptation: Leaders agreed on the critical urgency of accelerating climate adaptation action. With the planet expected to reach 1.5ºC warming by 2030, adaptation solutions need to be deployed at speed and scale to protect vulnerable nations, particularly in Africa and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
- Step-Up Climate Adaptation Finance by 2025: The commitment made at COP26 to double climate adaptation finance by 2025 was reaffirmed. Leaders recognized that progress toward this goal is off-track and called on all developed nations to strengthen efforts and meet their commitments.
- Harmonize Development with Nature: The integration of climate risks into all development financing and projects was emphasized, including the promotion of nature-based solutions (NBS) to enhance synergies between adaptation action and the protection of natural ecosystems.
- Scale-Up the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP): Leaders noted the progress of the AAAP, which has mainstreamed $10 billion of climate adaptation solutions across 35 African nations. The goal of reaching $25 billion by 2025 remains on track, with plans for a second, more ambitious phase of AAAP from 2026 to 2030.
- Launch the SIDS Adaptation Acceleration Program (SAAP): Leaders welcomed the proposal to launch a SIDS Adaptation Acceleration Program at COP29, focusing on direct access to enhanced levels of climate finance for coastal protection, the blue economy, and tourism sectors in Small Island Developing States.
- Evolve the International Financial System: African nations and SIDS face increasing debt distress, which threatens their ability to invest in climate adaptation. Leaders called for a fit-for-the-future international financial system that incorporates climate resilience, with initiatives like the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility and the World Bank’s climate-resilient debt clauses playing a critical role.
- Innovate Financial and Non-Financial Mobilization: Unlocking private sector funding for climate adaptation remains a priority. Leaders called for the removal of barriers to trade and subsidies that undermine adaptation efforts, particularly in sectors like agriculture and fisheries.
- Promote Locally-Led Adaptation: Effective climate adaptation must be driven by local contexts and communities. Leaders committed to bridging the gap in climate finance reaching small-scale food producers, who are responsible for over a third of the world’s food supply but receive less than 1% of global climate finance.
The event was co-hosted by Barbados, Denmark, Kenya, Norway, and Tanzania, in partnership with the African Union Commission and the African Development Bank,
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent.
Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China. The Center will open a new office in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.
