Adaptation Gap Report 2025

Amid rising global temperatures and intensifying climate impacts, UNEP’s 2025 Adaptation Gap Report: Running on Empty finds that a yawning gap in adaptation finance for developing countries is putting lives, livelihoods, and entire economies at risk.

The report updates the cost of financing for climate adaptation needed in developing countries, putting it at US$310 billion annually in 2035 based on modeled costs. Based on estimated needs expressed in Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans, this figure rises to US$365 billion annually. Meanwhile, international public adaptation finance flows to developing countries stood at US$26 billion in 2023, a decrease from US$28 billion the previous year. This means that adaptation finance needs in developing countries are 12-14 times larger than current flows. If current financing trends continue, the Glasgow Climate Pact's target of doubling international public adaptation financing by 2025 from 2019 levels will not be achieved, and the New Aggregate Quantitative Target for climate finance is not ambitious enough to close the financing gap. The private sector can do more and has the potential to provide approximately US$50 billion annually if supported by targeted policy actions and blended financing solutions.

While far from sufficient, there is visible progress in closing the planning and implementation gap. Most countries have at least one national adaptation policy, strategy, or plan; countries are getting better at integrating adaptation into broader national development planning; and countries have reported more than 1,600 implemented adaptation actions, mostly in the areas of biodiversity, agriculture, water, and infrastructure. Climate funding support for new adaptation projects increased in 2024, but emerging financial constraints make the future uncertain.Both public and private financing must act to accelerate adaptation and be careful not to increase the proportion of debt instruments used by vulnerable countries.

 According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s Adaptation Gap Report 2025: Working on Empty Ground, amid rising global temperatures and intensifying climate impacts, the vast gap in adaptation financing for developing countries is putting lives, livelihoods, and entire economies at risk. The world is not ready for climate change. If this report is evaluated and adaptation financing is not implemented, the danger will persist. Rising temperatures, droughts, floods, forest fires, and more are disrupting people's living conditions, livelihoods, and stability. This is not just an environmental problem. As long as global warming continues, the economy will collapse completely, and agriculture and water will be depleted. That is why this report is so important. The world will not recover unless global cooperation is achieved. This is not just a global crisis; it is about the environment, but also about the economy and social life. If climate policies are strengthened and global cooperation is not achieved, the balance will be completely disrupted. Therefore, this report demonstrates that we must act not only on an environmental issue but also on a humanitarian one.

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 Adaptation Gap Report 2025 | UNEP - UN Environment Programme