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

The document analyzes the progress of the Glasgow-Sharm-el Sheikh (GlaSS) work program and proposes four critical requirements for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) framework at COP 28: a qualitative overarching statement for impact, the integration of means of implementation (MoI) for effectiveness, explicit gender and human rights considerations for equity, and clarified roles for further technical and political work for legitimacy. It emphasizes that the GGA must be operationalizable through national monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems to avoid maladaptation and increased losses and damages.

• To ensure impact, the GGA framework should avoid a wide array of quantitative targets, which would require burdensome baselines and rigid methodologies, and instead adopt a qualitative, comprehensive, and time-bound vision similar to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
• The effectiveness of the GGA depends on the inclusion of means of implementation (MoI) across the decision text, as adaptation remains underfunded and 133 of 155 developing countries are currently in national adaptation planning processes.
• To achieve equity, the GGA framework must explicitly mention gender and human rights to ensure that data collection and analysis account for different social groups and gendered impacts of the climate crisis.
• The legitimacy of the GGA framework requires clarified roles and responsibilities for future work, such as developing indicators, through a process that is both technical and political and includes representation from scientific communities and underrepresented groups.

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} }