What is the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) in Paris Agreement?

International

What is the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) in Paris Agreement?

26 Dec 2023 Zinkpot 207

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is a collective commitment under Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement aimed at enhancing the world's adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience, and reducing vulnerability to climate change. It was proposed by the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) in 2013 and established in 2015.
The GGA is meant to serve as a unifying framework that can drive political action and finance for climate adaptation.
Key aspects of the GGA include:
- Enhancing adaptive capacity: The GGA aims to increase the ability of individuals, communities, and ecosystems to cope with the impacts of climate change.
- Strengthening resilience: The GGA seeks to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities associated with climate change, as well as enhance adaptation action and support.
- Reducing vulnerability: The GGA works towards minimizing the negative impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations and ecosystems.
- Promoting sustainability: The GGA encourages the integration of adaptation efforts with other national and international goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Climate Change.
It aims to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change. Here are some examples of adaptation strategies under the GGA:
- Community-based strategies: These strategies can encourage ownership, boost resilience, and reinforce social cohesiveness, allowing flexibility in adaptation.
- Policy coherence: Ensuring coherence between adaptation policies and other national and international goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can promote sustainability and reduce vulnerability.
- Leadership: Strong leadership can drive political action and finance for climate adaptation.
- Just Transition: Ensuring that adaptation efforts are equitable and just, particularly for those who are least responsible for climate change but often bear its heaviest burden, can reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity and resilience.
- Focus on Food: Addressing food security and agricultural adaptation can reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity and resilience.
To make the GGA a reality, negotiators at COP28 will need to resolve foundational questions about the goal's scope and address outstanding concerns about bridging the gap between local and global adaptation efforts.
The GGA framework should focus on defining indicators based on existing systems, prioritizing monitoring and evaluation, and building on the existing portfolio of work on monitoring and evaluation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for adaptation.
Additionally, the GGA should foster international cooperation and involve various stakeholders, such as the private sector, multilateral development banks, local governments, United Nations, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and research and academic institutions