Adaptation to climate change is at risk
Adaptation to climate change is at risk
Adaptation to climate change was not on the table before the Great Industrial Revolution, when man enjoyed a clean environment and available resources, and after that he failed to manage his industrial waste in a responsible manner, so the planet Earth began to change, and its nature was destroyed, until the world became in need of an effective strategy to stop environmental and climate deterioration throughout the Earth. Therefore,Earth Guards, in this article, will address international efforts in the field of adaptation to climate change, and ways to strengthen relevant measures.. So continue reading the article.
1.5°C
Today – with the intensification of climate change – the world is further away from achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Therefore, world leaders meet every year to discuss climate challenges at conferences of the parties, including the twenty-ninth Conference of the Parties (COP), the first of which began yesterday – Monday – in Baku. The capital of Azerbaijan.
COP29 comes at a crucial time, as we are close to exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial revolution levels, and an objector may object and say: Where are the adaptation measures? Adaptation measures – in fact – are still woefully weak!
International efforts to solve the problem of climate change
Despite the Paris Agreement and its role in motivating the world to adapt to climate change, global temperatures are still continuing to rise, in addition to the costs of adaptation that cannot be borne by the economies of developing countries in particular, in addition to climate losses and damages, which affect the world’s poor and vulnerable, including women and children.
Hence, there are international efforts that are trying – as much as possible – to strengthen adaptation measures to climate change. In the latest report issued by the United Nations Environment Program –The Adaptation Gap Report for 2024– it was noted that developing countries have enjoyed financial flows for adaptation, and the amount of these flows was 28 billion US dollars in 2022, making this the largest financial flow since the Paris Agreement in 2015.
These financial flows come as a clear reflection and notable progress towards the Glasgow Climate Charter, which called on developed countries to double climate financing. However, we need more efforts than ever before, and even if the goals of the Glasgow Charter are completed, the adaptation financing gap – amounting to between 187 billion and 359 billion US dollars – will only shrink by approximately 5%, which is a small percentage compared to the climate challenges the world now faces. Extremely dangerous.
How can we adapt to climate change?
To realize the seriousness of the situation, we must consider the results of another report, the Emissions Gap Report for the year 2024, which confirmed the existence of impacts that undermine these efforts, which are essentially weak. Global emissions witnessed a noticeable increase compared to last year, especially carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector, followed by the industrial sector, which bears 22% of these emissions, including methane and nitrous oxide.
The report also revealed that the G20 countries bear most of the global emissions. This is why the report calls for attention to solar energy and wind energy, which are two of the most important sources that can contribute significantly to reducing emissions, along with preserving forests and increasing afforestation.
Returning to the 2024 Adaptation Gap Report, we find that one of the most important ways to address these unfortunate results – in addition to the recommendations of the 2024 Emissions Gap Report – is to increase new energy investments, implement reforms in financial systems, and enhance private sector participation, especially in major countries.
So, in light of the slow pace of implementation of adaptation measures, it has become necessary for us to work to increase climate financing, build human capabilities, and transfer technology. It is an approach that is fully consistent with what is expected from the Azerbaijani presidency of the Twenty-Ninth Conference of the Parties (COP), which is expected to consider means of implementing what Egypt and the UAE reached at the Twenty-Seventh and Twenty-Eighth Conferences of the Parties.
The Climate Adaptation Gap Report also suggests paying attention to enabling conditions, taking into account the concept of gender equality, as well as the need to make adaptation measures an important part of comprehensive sustainable development strategies.
In conclusion, Earth Guards realize that there is – in general – an urgent need to make more efforts; In order to achieve the global goal of adapting to climate change; So whatever happens or whatever it takes, we must all make climate change adaptation our top priority.
