The need to invest in adaptation rests upon the assumption that ‘anticipated risks or experienced impacts of climate change require action to ensure the safety of populations and the security of assets, including ecosystems and their services’. The outcomes of UN climate negotiations, including the Paris Agreement, are continuously urging for scaled-up financial and other support by developed country Parties on this matter.
This policy brief discusses the status of international adaptation finance by explaining how the term adaptation finance is framed and by giving an overview on current adaptation finance flows and trends. In addition, the role of adaptation finance in negotiation processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as well as in further processes outside of the Convention is described. Based on this stock-taking exercise, some major challenges for mobilizing investments on adaptation-related activities are discussed. The policy brief concludes with recommendations for addressing the identified challenges, particularly in the context of the upcoming negotiations at the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the UNFCCC.
