Tracking Adaptation Progress at the Global Level: Key Issues and Priorities

In recent years, and particularly since the 2015 Paris Agreement and the adoption of the global adaptation goal of “enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change”, the recognition of the global dimensions of adaptation has increased. This chapter explores the emerging global perspective on adaptation and the efforts to review the effectiveness of adaptation action as well as the overall progress in achieving the global adaptation goal. It begins by considering why adaptation is often perceived as local and the factors that have led to the increased attention to global dimensions of adaptation. It then discusses how this relates to the question of measuring adaptation progress and examines the challenges of developing appropriate approaches and metrics for this purpose. The chapter suggests some ways forward, focusing on three priority areas of action for advancing on a global adaptation framework under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): clearly defining the global goal and achieving conceptual clarity, identifying tracking criteria, and ensuring availability of necessary data.