COP28 Presidency Calls For Urgent Global Adaptation Action On Climate Change At Korea Global Adaptation Week 2023

The COP28 Presidency has called for urgent action to strengthen global adaptation action across all levels to mitigate vulnerability and enhance resilience for communities, ecosystems, and economic sectors.

This appeal came during the commencement of the Korea Global Adaptation Week 2023, setting the stage for a crucial moment in the ongoing battle against climate change.

During the opening session of the Global Adaptation Dialogue, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of COP28, reaffirmed the Presidency’s unwavering commitment to prioritize adaptation and resilience.

“The COP28 Presidency has positioned adaptation and resilience firmly in our Presidential Action Agenda,” said Ambassador Al Suwaidi. “Under the focus of putting people and communities back the heart of climate action, we are working to deliver on the Global Goal on Adaptation, and to elevate issues across food, health, water, nature and relief and recovery.”

He added that the forthcoming Global Stocktake at COP28 will enable a thorough assessment of successes and gaps, representing a significant moment to raise ambition and action for adaptation.

The COP28 Director-General said there is an urgent need to “adopt a framework on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), ensuring that it is complemented by a robust, differentiated, and actionable agenda for building resilience.”

The GGA framework “must help reduce vulnerability, build adaptative capacities, and strengthen resilience for the most vulnerable populations, ecosystems, and economic sectors. And it must be both comprehensive in outlook, but also flexible in details to reflect the diversity of challenges and capacities inherent to our global community,” said Ambassador Al Suwaidi.

Ambassador Al Suwaidi called on developed countries to uphold their commitment to doubling adaptation finance by 2025, a pledge made at COP26. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) were also urged to scale up adaptation finance.