The Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Ruffe, whose nation hosted the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021, was one of many leaders to advance critical shifts toward adaptation. Photo by EU2016 SK/Flickr
The Netherlands hosted the Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS) 2021, marking the first time world leaders gathered at a global event focused solely on adaptation and resilience. As a platform for new commitments and renewed affirmations, CAS served as a key steppingstone to other major climate events throughout 2021, including November’s COP26 in Glasgow.
The summit came at a time as climate impacts are accelerating around the world, disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. In the last two decades, natural disasters linked to extreme weather accounted for 475,000 deaths and $2.6 trillion in damages. Many countries are still falling well behind targets set by the Paris Agreement and failing to adequately support countries most affected by climate change.
Climate Adaptation for Resilience
COP26 President Alok Sharma at the closing session of the Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands and the World Economic Forum
From:
26 January 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
A huge thank you to the World Economic Forum and the Netherlands for organising this panel. And to my fellow panel members for their brilliant insight.
2021 is indeed going to be a critical year for the climate.
And I want to see the golden thread of climate action woven through every international event on the road to Glasgow.
At the Climate Ambition Summit, which the UK co-hosted with the UN and France last December, we had 75 world leaders come forward to make concrete commitments.
Climate of change THE PRICE IS RIGHT?
According to
The Guardian, the Morrison government will today sign up to two international agreements that aim to integrate climate risk into investment decision-making, including through pricing risk; the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment, and the Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience.
The move, which stands to inflame Liberal-National tensions, comes after climate denialist
George Christensen again failed to get the numbers for an inquiry into why banks are refusing to lend to fossil fuel projects.
PS: Although it reads like soft propaganda for the coal industry,
The Australian ($)today reports 170 workers have been sacked by energy company New Hope as legal challenges stall the expansion of its New Acland mine.
Australia has signed onto an international agreement that will aim to embed climate risk into investment decision-making, including through pricing physical climate risks.
Thank you very much distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, excellencies.
I would really like to thank the Netherlands for hosting this excellent summit. We have heard some brilliant submissions and real power to the messages that have been coming through. I also want to thank the Global Center on Adaptation - I see you have my friend Feike with you. And of course, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, for his leadership in adaptation and resilience.
And I can tell you that as COP President this is a top priority indeed. And I know that it is the same for my dear friend Patricia Espinosa who you will hear from shortly as well.