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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Global Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Climate Change as Commission Finds Adaptation Can Deliver $7.1 Trillion in Benefits

A Global Commission on Adaptation report finds that investing $1.8 trillion globally from 2020 to 2030 in five areas could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits.

The Commission is led by Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations, Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank (currently on leave following her nomination for the role of managing director of the International Monetary Fund)

As recent events have shown, climate change affects people everywhere. Without action, millions of people will be pushed further into poverty, leading to increased conflict and instability.

The report puts forward a bold vision for how to transform key systems to be more resilient and productive. The Commission finds that adaptation can produce significant economic returns. The overall rate of return on investments in improved resilience is high, with benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2:1 to 10:1, and in some cases even higher.

Specifically, the analysis finds that investing $1.8 trillion globally in five areas from 2020 to 2030 could generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits. The five areas the report considers are early warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure, improved dryland agriculture, mangrove protection, and investments in making water resources more resilient. These areas represent only a portion of the total investments needed and total benefits available.

The Commission says climate adaptation can also deliver a “triple dividend”— it avoids future losses, generates positive economic gains through innovation, and delivers additional social and environmental benefits.

The report calls for adaptation that addresses underlying inequalities in society and brings more people, especially people most vulnerable to climate impacts, into decision making. The reality is that those most affected by climate change did the least to cause the problem – making adaptation a human imperative.

Ban Ki-moon said mitigation and adaptation go hand-in-hand as two equally important building blocks of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. “Adaptation is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do to boost economic growth and create a climate resilient world,” he said.

Bill Gates said with greater support for innovation, new opportunities can be unlocked to spur change across the global ecosystem, adding “adaptation is an urgent issue that needs support from governments and businesses to ensure those most at risk have the opportunity to thrive.”

Axel van Trotsenburg, Acting CEO of the World Bank, announced that the World Bank is increasing investment in adaptation because the evidence shows that resilient buildings, infrastructure, and public services are good for communities, business and the sustained growth of the entire economy.

The report is being launched with events in over 10 capitals and cities around the world, including: Majuro, Marshall Islands; Beijing, China; New Delhi, India; Geneva, Switzerland; Mexico City, Mexico; Ottawa, Canada; Wainibuka, Fiji; Washington DC, United States; and more. These events and a new social media campaign — #AdaptOurWorld – are aimed to demonstrate the strong demand for adaptation around the world.

The Commission’s report highlights many economic, social and environmental benefits of adaptation. For example:

  • Restoring mangrove forests, in places like Thailand, India and the Philippines, protects coastal communities from deadly storm surges while providing critical habitat to local fisheries, boosting the regions’ prosperity.
  • The Netherlands “Room for the River” strategy moved dikes inland, widened rivers and created water-absorbing plazas. These projects manage and slow floodwaters, while providing innovative public use spaces and revitalizing neighbourhoods.
  • In Zimbabwe, farmers using drought-tolerant maize were able to harvest up to 600 kilograms more maize per hectare than with conventional maize. The additional harvest was enough to feed a family of six for nine months and provided US $240 in extra income, helping them send their children to school and meet other household needs.
  • Reducing flood risks in urban areas lowers financial costs, increases security, and makes investments that would otherwise be too vulnerable to climate risks more viable. London’s Canary Wharf and other developments in East London would have been impossible without flood protection from the Thames Barrier.

The report calls for revolutions in three areas—understanding, planning and finance—in order to ensure that climate impacts, risks and solutions are factoring into decision making at all levels. The report explores how these major changes can be applied across seven interlocking systems: food, natural environment, water, cities, infrastructures, disaster risk management, and finance.

The Commission will make several announcements and unveil additional actions at the UN Climate Summit in September 2019. These Action Tracks, which are outlined in the report, cover areas such as food security, resilience, disaster risk management, and finance.

The Commission will also announce the start of the Year of Action, at an event hosted by the Dutch Government, at the UN Headquarters, on September 24, 2019. The Year of Action will build on the report’s recommendations to mobilize action on climate change to be featured at the Climate Adaptation Summit in October 2020 in The Netherlands.

Read the full report here

Global Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Climate Change as Commission Finds Adaptation Can Deliver $7.1 Trillion in Benefits Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.
Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Todayhttp://www.hstoday.us
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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