Barely two weeks before the climate summit COP30 gets underway, the UN's environmental agency Unep presents a status report on climate adaptations in the world. Unep has for many years warned that not enough is being done – and the message remains.
Above all, there is a large gap between how much funding is allocated to the adaptation work of developing countries and what is required. According to the report, over $310 billion is required annually, otherwise both human lives and economies are at risk of disappearing. This is 12 times as much as is currently being invested, including inflation.
The report is intended as a basis for the climate negotiations in Belém in Brazil, which will be held on November 10-21.
"Climate impact is accelerating. But the adaptations are not keeping the same pace, which leaves the world's most vulnerable exposed to rising sea levels, deadly storms and scorching heat", says the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a press comment.
The international financial flows to developing countries were $26 billion in 2023 – a decrease from $28 billion the year before.
According to the report, 172 countries have at least one national adaptation strategy or plan in place. But 36 of these have plans that are "outdated", which risks leading to incorrect or inadequate adaptations.
