NEWS

In an attempt to bring adaptation on an equal footing with mitigation in climate discussions and
to close the financing gap between these two pillars of climate action, the Paris Agreement (Cop
21) underlined the need for a Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) to “enhance adaptive capacity,
strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change, with a view to contributing to
sustainable development and ensuring an adequate adaptation response in the context of the
temperature goal.”

At Cop 26 in 2021, the two-year Glasgow-Sharm-El-Sheikh (GlaSS) work programme on the
Global Goal on Adaptation (2022-2023) was launched as a concrete operational plan for the
Global Goal on Adaptation with the intent to conclude it by Cop 28. Contributions made and
discussions taking place as part of the GlaSS WP are supporting countries in reaching an
agreement on the architecture and assessment of the GGA.

Ahead of Cop 28 this year, the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network undertook a stocktake of
progress of the GGA and GlaSS WP through the webinar, Ambitions and realities of the
Global Goal on Adaptation: where do we stand and how to collectively move forward?
Speakers from leading regional and international organisations as well as governments shared
their perspectives and aspirations to make the GGA work for all.

Four GlaSS workshops took place in 2022 to advance the operationalisation of the GGA
In 2022, four workshops were conducted by the UNFCCC Secretariat to meet the eight
objectives of the GlaSS. Key workshop outcomes included enhanced understanding of the GGA
and progress achieved so far; enhanced adaptation action and support through a review of
National Adaptation Plans (NAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Adaptation
Communications; review of existing methodologies, indicators, data and metrics, and monitoring
and evaluation (as well as gaps); review and sharing of experiences for communicating and
reporting on national adaptation progress.

Dr Maryam Navi, Team Lead, Global Goal on Adaptation, Adaptation Division, UNFCCC
secretariat, shared that for 2023, following a decision at Cop 27, a GGA framework is to be
adopted at the fifth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the
Parties to the Paris Agreement (November–December 2023) during Cop 28 in Abu Dhabi. Four
more workshops are planned under the GlaSS to guide the development of the framework.

Push for transformational adaptation through a wellbeing approach in developing the
GGA Framework

Mr Thibyan Ibrahim, Assistant Director, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and
Technology of Maldives shared that the GGA has a global scope that requires collective
action and local implementation. However, elements of the goal should be global to reflect that
there are no borders to climate change impacts.

Wellbeing needs to be underlined as a key approach in the development of the GGA framework.
He introduced five important wellbeing pillars in the Maldives that are often threatened by
climate change – water, food, health, oceans and infrastructure. Though these pillars may differ
depending on country context, he furthered the idea that human wellbeing is universal in nature.
Thus, goal setting must be forward-looking and should be centered around transformation and
long-term wellbeing.

He ended by saying that the GGA framework should include country-driven overarching targets,
drive regional cooperation against cascading climate risks, and direct more finance towards
adaptation.

Establishing robust monitoring, evaluation and learning systems is essential to assess
global progress toward the GGA

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) conducted a regional study on the
progress of adaptation planning in Asia-Pacific through the analysis of submitted national
communications, nationally-determined contributions, national adaptation plans and adaptation
communications.

As shared by Ms Nagisa Shiiba, Policy Researcher Adaptation and Water Area, IGES, all
countries in Asia-Pacific have submitted their NDCs at least once, however, only one third
included monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) components in their submissions. Most
countries are envisioning this as a future step.

She elaborated that a customised and country-driven MEL system is essential to assess
progress toward the GGA. Two factors can contribute to building robust systems: integrating the
MEL approach as part of other evaluation systems, such as national SDG reporting systems,
and regional cooperation, coordination and sharing of good MEL practices in countries with
similar geographies or evaluation systems. This will address the limited capacity, in Least
Developed Countries particularly, for building an effective MEL system.

The GGA provides an opportunity to account for and better manage transboundary
climate risks

The 6th IPCC assessment report highlighted that climate change impacts are becoming
increasingly more complex and more difficult to manage due to, for example, the cross-border
nature of climate risks. Complex, compound, cascading and cross-border climate risks are often
overlooked in adaptation planning.

Dr Richard Klein, Senior Research Fellow and Team Lead, International Climate Risk and
Adaptation, Stockholm Environment Institute shared that the GGA needs to carefully
consider cross-border climate risks. The GGA is an opportunity for Parties to really consider
these risks, account for and better manage them. This is in consonance with the reality that
adaptation itself can have transboundary effects: what might enhance the resilience of one
country might exacerbate the vulnerability of another, or another group in another context. The
GGA should aim to build “just resilience.”

Underlining science and evidence to feed into the GGA framework

Dr Johanna Nalau, Climate Adaptation Scientist Griffith University spoke about the
scientific and academic community’s role in supporting the development of the GGA framework
the GGA framework. She emphasised the role of Parties, non-party stakeholders and civil
society organisations in closing the knowledge gaps and defining important links with the
Nairobi Work Programme of the UNFCCC.

Forward-looking targets need to be set out to know if the world has adapted as a whole. Dr
Nalau mentioned the importance of defining indicators to be measured that ensure that we are
not leaving others or any countries behind. Key considerations include differences in capacities,
kinds of risks and vulnerabilities.

Next steps for the IPCC include working on targets and indicators for measuring inclusive and equitable adaptation

Participatory stakeholder engagement will nourish transformational adaptation actions
Atty Vositha Wijenayake, Executive Director of SLYCAN Trust Global shared that scaling
up inclusion by engaging different actors who are not traditionally involved in climate processes
could enrich the development of the GGA framework.

Enhancing local-level stakeholders’ knowledge and understanding of the GGA will empower communities to lead and participate in the generation of local-level evidence feeding into the process.

The webinar was moderated by Ms Katy Harris, Director of Adaptation Without Borders, and
Senior Policy Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Mr Mozaharul Alam, Head of
APAN Secretariat Regional Coordinator for Climate Action, UNEP provided closing remarks.
This webinar is part of the APAN technical webinar series. APAN has already delivered three
webinars focused on locally-led adaptation, loss and damage and biodiversity and climate
change interlinkages. In the coming months, APAN will be announcing its technical webinar
topics leading to the 8th APAN Forum.