Breaking the GlaSS Ceiling at COP 28: Four key elements to ensure a successful global goal on adaptation

This research paper outlines four essential elements—impact, effectiveness, equity, and legitimacy—required for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework to be successful at COP 28. It argues against rigid quantitative targets in favor of qualitative visions, emphasizes the necessity of including means of implementation (funding), and calls for the integration of gender and human rights data to ensure equitable adaptation progress.

• The Glasgow-Sharm-el Sheikh (GlaSS) work program, launched in 2021, aims to develop approaches and methodologies for evaluating progress toward the global goal on adaptation (GGA) established by the Paris Agreement. A primary challenge in this process is that "no global metrics can meaningfully capture what “successful adaptation” entails across all contexts and ecosystems."
• To ensure the GGA framework effectively drives adaptation action and avoids maladaptation, the author argues it must include four critical elements: impact, effectiveness, equity, and legitimacy. Specifically, the framework should utilize a "qualitative, comprehensive, and time-bound vision" rather than rigid quantitative outcome-level targets, which would require burdensome baselines and global methodologies that fail to capture all contexts.
• The inclusion of means of implementation (MoI) is identified as a contentious but essential element for the GGA's effectiveness. The document notes that adaptation is currently underfunded, and that "without appropriate funding, accelerating adaptation actions and achieving the GGA will not be possible."
• The GGA framework must integrate gender and human rights considerations to address systemic vulnerabilities. This includes ensuring that both "data collection (to generate gendered evidence) and analyses (to understand gendered impacts)" at national and global scales account for different social groups to improve adaptation design and gender budgeting.
• The legitimacy of the GGA framework depends on clarified roles for future work, such as developing indicators under adaptation dimensions. The author suggests that the process for this further work should be "both technical and political to be productive," involving representation from underrepresented groups, countries, and the scientific community.

APA

Beauchamp,, E. (2023). Breaking the GlaSS Ceiling at COP 28: Four key elements to ensure a successful global goal on adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/breaking-glass-ceiling-cop-28-four-key-elements-ensure-successful-global-goal

Chicago

Beauchamp,, Emilie. Breaking the GlaSS Ceiling at COP 28: Four key elements to ensure a successful global goal on adaptation. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/breaking-glass-ceiling-cop-28-four-key-elements-ensure-successful-global-goal.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beauchamp, |first1=Emilie |title=Breaking the GlaSS Ceiling at COP 28: Four key elements to ensure a successful global goal on adaptation |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=24 November 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/breaking-glass-ceiling-cop-28-four-key-elements-ensure-successful-global-goal |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beauchamp2023breaking, author = {Beauchamp,, Emilie}, title = {{Breaking the GlaSS Ceiling at COP 28: Four key elements to ensure a successful global goal on adaptation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/insight/breaking-glass-ceiling-cop-28-four-key-elements-ensure-successful-global-goal}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }