Date Time Step up climate change adaptation, says UN report As temperatures rise and climate change impacts intensify, nations must urgently step up action to adapt to the new climate reality or face serious costs, damages and losses, a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report finds. WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petter Taalas joined a high-level panel on 14 January to release the report, which finds that the pace of adaptation financing is indeed rising, but is outpaced by rapidly increasing adaptation costs. Annual adaptation costs in developing countries are estimated at USD 70 billion. This figure is expected to reach USD 140-300 billion in 2030 and USD 280-500 billion in 2050.