A CALL FOR ACTION - INSIGHTS FROM THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION SUMMIT 2021
The Hague, 26 January 2021
Held on January 25th and 26th, 2021, the Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) of 2021 brought together global leaders, civil society, youth advocates, and regional as well as local stakeholders.
The CAS 2021 focused on adaptation in 10 areas, which are challenges related to climate change, presented and discussed over a 24-hour cycle on Monday 25 January, to achieve a global outreach. Challenges included water, the acceleration of African Adaptation, the resilience of cities, and nature-based solutions. Further, addressed was disaster risk management, infrastructure, youth leadership, the importance of locally-led adaptation, agriculture and food security, and finally, finance and investment considerations.
Hosted by the Netherlands, the global online summit featured key public figures, such as the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, who stressed the focus of the Netherlands equally on mitigation and adaptation. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the relevance of adaptation and resilience, wherefore climate financing shall allocate 50 percent to the former. Global leaders, such as the Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng, urged the international community to enhance adaptation efforts made in the Paris Agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed and committed to allocating climate adaptation budgets. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson aims to achieve political commitment turning into concrete action to support the most vulnerable to climate change by launching the Adaptation Action Coalition. Focusing on the generation to come, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau presented the GCA Youth Leadership Program.
CAS 2021 Talks session included speeches from AG, Ban Ki Moon and the leaders of Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom among others.
International Financial Organizations, such as the IMF, announced and committed to increasing the incorporation of climate risks in the financial sector assessment and launched a new data initiative to track climate risks and policies. The World Bank Group announced a $5 billion investment in the Great Green Wall Initiative to reduce desertification in Africa. The new African Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) has been announced by African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in addition to former climate finance commitments.
Specific actions were outlined both by the 1,000 Cities Adapt Now Program (1000CAN), joining efforts to help cities adapt to climate change over the next ten years, and nine (inter-)national design agencies, which presented a joint manifesto with principles to achieve successful and climate-proof design solutions.
A call for action came from youth leaders across the world and scientists, emphasizing the need to “adapt for our future,” supported by the Dutch Regional Action Agenda of the Youth for Climate Adaptation, illustrating seven recommendations to municipalities, provinces, and water boards. Five Nobel Prize Laureates Presented was the “Groningen Scientific Declaration” signed by 3,000 worldwide scientists calling for an increase in adaptation financing.
The call for coordinated action to tackle the world’s most pressing issues, climate change, the Adaptation Action Agenda was launched. Setting out comprehensive and clear commitments to achieve global resilience through concrete action aims to achieve a new decade of effective, inclusive, and concrete climate action. Over 50 Ministers have declared their commitment and readiness to guide the Adaptation Action Agenda to achieve a climate-resilient future.
>> Download the Adaptation Action Agenda here
>> Climate Adaptation Summit website