Understanding adaptation and climate finance

Summary

This brochure provides a concise guide to global and regional climate‑finance dynamics leading into COP29 and COP30, outlining how adaptation remains critically underfunded despite escalating needs. It explains the transition from the unmet USD 100 billion climate‑finance pledge toward the new NCQG, which sets a minimum of USD 300 billion annually by 2035, and highlights tensions around equity, historical responsibility, and the imbalance that still directs 67% of climate finance to mitigation rather than adaptation.

The document emphasises that NDCs, NAPs and Adaptation Communications are crucial for articulating adaptation needs and unlocking finance, yet many countries face misalignment between national plans, local priorities and actual fund delivery. It stresses that barriers extend beyond inadequate finance to include poor access to grant‑based funding, institutional capacity gaps, and weaknesses in adaptation project design and implementation.

Finally, it underscores the importance of the Global Goal on Adaptation, the UAE Global Climate Resilience Framework and the Baku Adaptation Roadmap as emerging tools to improve resilience, track progress and push for more predictable, equitable, grant‑based adaptation financing.