Adaptation Communications: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary reports under the Paris Agreement designed to synthesize a country's climate adaptation priorities, efforts, and needs. It outlines four primary goals: enhancing the visibility of adaptation relative to mitigation, strengthening support for developing countries, providing inputs for the global stocktake, and enhancing learning. Countries have flexibility in submission, choosing to provide ADCOMs as standalone documents, in conjunction with other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs. The guide emphasizes that ADCOMs are country-driven and should not create additional burdens for developing nations, suggesting that countries can synthesize existing information from their NAP processes to meet submission goals, particularly for the 2023 global stocktake.

• Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary reports established under Article 7 of the 2015 Paris Agreement to share a country's priorities, efforts, needs, and lessons regarding climate change adaptation.
• The ADCOM serves four main purposes: balancing the profile of adaptation with mitigation, strengthening support for developing countries, providing data for the global stocktake, and improving the understanding of adaptation needs and actions.
• To be included in synthesis reports for the first global stocktake in 2023, countries were encouraged to submit their first ADCOM by the end of December 2021, or at the latest by the end of January 2022.
• Countries have three flexible options for submitting an ADCOM: as a standalone document, in conjunction with another document (such as an NDC), or as a component of another document (such as a NAP or NC).
• Specific examples of submission methods include the United Kingdom, Republic of Marshall Islands, Switzerland, and Norway using standalone documents; Canada submitting in conjunction with its NDC; and 11 countries, including Kenya and the Russian Federation, using the adaptation chapter of their NDC as their ADCOM.
• The content of an ADCOM is optional and can include national circumstances, risks and vulnerabilities, adaptation priorities, implementation and support needs, and gender-responsive actions.
• Countries with ongoing National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes but no completed document can still develop an ADCOM by synthesizing available information from NAP Frameworks, roadmaps, or risk assessments.

APA

Hammill, A., & Ledwell, C. (2021). Adaptation Communications: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/napgn-2021-en-adcom-faqs.pdf

Chicago

Hammill, Anne, and Christian Ledwell. Adaptation Communications: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/napgn-2021-en-adcom-faqs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hammill |first1=Anne |last2=Ledwell |first2=Christian |title=Adaptation Communications: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2021 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/napgn-2021-en-adcom-faqs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hammill2021adaptation, author = {Hammill, Anne and Ledwell, Christian}, title = {{Adaptation Communications: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/napgn-2021-en-adcom-faqs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }