Adaptation: is securing funding really the top priority for COP negotiations?

Abstract

This article critically examines UNEP's Adaptation Gap Report 2023 (AGR2023) as a foundational source in the narrative that insufficient adaptation finance is the primary barrier to climate change adaptation and, based on this analysis, offers suggestions for future Conference of the Parties (COP) discussions on the adaptation framework. This article identifies key methodological challenges in AGR2023’s estimation of the adaptation finance gap. These issues are traced back to deeper systemic issues within the UNFCCC adaptation framework, including the misalignment of national adaptation plans (NAPs) with the UNFCCC mandate and the lack of clear boundaries for adaptation activities. The article calls for more informed and evidence-based COP discussions, which should lead to a fundamental rethinking of the adaptation framework.