Science warns us that the severity of extreme weather events can only intensify unless decisive and bold action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Every rise in global temperatures underlines how essential a proactive response to the climate crisis is: world leaders must act now.
Yet we are terribly unprepared. The recent Adaptation Gap 2023 report by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) finds that adaptation to climate change – the process by which we prepare for and build resilience to climate impacts – is slowing on all fronts, just when it should be accelerating to catch up with growing impacts.
This is particularly true for developing countries, which have fewer resources to devote to climate adaptation and have done the least to cause global heating. The Unep report found that the investment costs needed for adaptation in developing countries range between $215 billion and $387 billion a year this decade.
This is 10–18 times higher than current international public finance flows for adaptation, with a staggering financing gap of $194–366 billion a year.
World leaders must remedy this situation immediately. The Glasgow pact agreed at Cop26 provided for a doubling of funding to support developing countries in adapting to the impacts of climate change and strengthening their resilience. Developed countries must honour this commitment. Countries must also adopt an ambitious framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation, so as to guide adaptation action and investment.
We urge leaders to seize the moment and send an unequivocal message about the need for urgent and significant investment to strengthen people, economies and ecosystems against the growing threats of the climate crisis.
We know that solutions already exist. An excellent example is the United Nations Secretary-General’s ambitious Early Warnings for All initiative, which aims to give everyone on Earth access to early warning and early action information for dangerous weather, water or climate events by 2027. Other necessary solutions include climate-informed planning and development; resilient food, water, health and infrastructure systems; and social safety nets for when disaster strikes.
Crucially, the framework must include robust, measurable targets so that we can all monitor progress over time, and it must include means of implementation – finance, capacity building and technology transfer – to support delivery of the framework, so that it does not become another empty promise that is never kept.
Given the complex mix of global challenges, a key focus must be placed on strengthening agri-food systems. The resilience of these systems remains fundamental, especially because smallholder farmers in the Global South bear the brunt of this crisis. It is a grave injustice that those who have contributed least to the climate crisis are left to fend for themselves, receiving a woefully inadequate share of climate finance.
More than 2 billion people depend on these small farms for sustenance and livelihoods, yet less than 2% of global climate finance goes to their adaptation efforts. This disparity must be addressed urgently.
The climate crisis must not spell total catastrophe for the future of food systems, but must embrace innovation and entrepreneurship, with women at the helm. The transformation of the agri-food sector depends on actionable research and development and on the ability to turn local challenges into global opportunities. It is essential that local innovations have the resources, knowledge and financial support they need; this will be key to turning vulnerabilities into strengths.
Humanity is at a crucial moment; we must not waste this opportunity to get back on track. At Cop28, leaders must seize the opportunities with collective will and fulfil the commitments that have so far remained unfulfilled.”
Graça Machel is deputy chair of the global human rights organisation The Elders and an activist for the rights of women and children.
Ban Ki-moon is deputy chair of The Elders, co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Center for Global Citizens, chair of the Global Center on Adaptation and was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
