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The We Mean Business Coalition calls for urgent global action at COP27 to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, advocating for a partnership between business and government to halve global emissions by 2030. The Coalition emphasizes the need for a sectoral Mitigation Work Programme, scaled-up adaptation finance for vulnerable nations, and the fulfillment of the US$100 billion annual climate finance commitment.

The document argues that urban climate adaptation is severely underfunded compared to mitigation, with only 9% of global urban climate investments flowing to adaptation projects as of 2017-2018. It highlights the extreme vulnerability of cities to flooding, heat, and water stress, noting that coastal cities could face annual costs of USD 1 trillion by 2050. To address this, the brief recommends that national governments declare climate emergencies, integrate local governments into national planning (NAPs and NDCs), boost technical project preparation, collaborate with development banks, mobilize private capital through PPPs and insurance, invest in early warning systems, and develop standardized adaptation metrics.

In 2019/20, Ethiopia's tracked climate finance averaged USD 1.7 billion, representing only 7% of its estimated annual needs of USD 25.3 billion. The landscape is heavily dominated by international public finance (92%), with a strong preference for adaptation projects (56%) over mitigation (38%). While the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector received the most sectoral finance (29%), it remains significantly underfunded relative to its 83% contribution to national GHG emissions. Key barriers to scaling finance include a highly regulated financial sector, lack of a stock market, unfavorable collateral policies for SMEs, and a heavy reliance on grants over private capital. The report recommends establishing a comprehensive climate budget tagging system, conducting bottom-up needs assessments, and developing capital markets to mobilize private investment.

Haiti has launched its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for 20222030, focusing on agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure. The plan identifies 340 adaptation actions, with 21 designated as priority actions requiring a minimum of USD 980 million in funding. Implementation depends on strengthening human capacities, adopting climate technologies, and establishing a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system. The document stresses that inclusive governance involving universities, the private sector, civil society, and local governments is essential for success, with a specific focus on gender mainstreaming and the role of the National Committee on Climate Change (CNCC).

The NAP Global Network and Lensational implemented a pilot project in Ghana and Kenya to empower women on the front lines of climate change through photography and storytelling. By training women to document their lived experiences and visions of resilience, the initiative created a common language for dialogue between grassroots communities and policy-makers. This approach shifted the traditional consultation model, allowing women to set the agenda and influence the actions, strategies, and policies within the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes. Following the pilots, the approach is being expanded to Jamaica.

The document argues that integrating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) reduces duplication and optimizes limited resources. It highlights that biodiversity protection increases ecosystem resilience, aiding human adaptation to climate change, and cites Eswatini, Fiji, Peru, and Rwanda as examples of countries that have successfully linked these strategies to enhance social and ecosystem resilience.

Saint Lucia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its small size, location in a high-risk cyclone and volcanic belt, and economic reliance on agriculture and tourism. To address these risks, the country established a Climate Change Adaptation Policy and a Nationally Determined Contribution in 2015, followed by the initiation of its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in 2017 and the subsequent publication of the 2018–2028 NAP.

Nigeria is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing risks from drought, flooding, and sea level rise that threaten food security and economic stability. While the government has established frameworks like the National Adaptation Plan, implementation at the local level is limited by poor funding, lack of skilled personnel, and a reliance on international finance. The paper advocates for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) to ensure climate actions are inclusive and aligned with community needs.

In 2019/2020, Burkina Faso received USD 567 million in climate finance, covering only 13% of the USD 4.1 billion needed by 2050 to meet its NDC targets. Public finance dominated the landscape, accounting for 80% of total flows, with a heavy reliance on international multilateral and bilateral DFIs. Energy systems and Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) were the primary recipients of funds, though significant gaps remain in water and wastewater sectors. The report highlights critical barriers, including political instability, a lack of domestic climate budget tagging, and the absence of a robust Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework, which hinders the attraction of further donor funding and private investment.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) provides grants of up to USD 3 million to support developing countries in creating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and other adaptation planning processes. As of October 2022, GCF had approved 87 such proposals valued at USD 193 million. The fund aims for a 50:50 balance between adaptation and mitigation in its portfolio, prioritizing vulnerable regions including Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.

The document reviews 24 financing strategies for adaptation in developing countries, categorizing them as either discrete adaptation strategies or general climate action strategies. It finds a wide variation in approach, ranging from high-level awareness documents to detailed costing frameworks. The analysis suggests that countries do not necessarily need to calculate precise finance gaps and should instead focus on the strategic use of public finance to leverage private investment and improve the tracking of international finance flows. It emphasizes the importance of involving ministries of finance and international funders to increase the likelihood of securing resources.

The report reviews 24 financing strategies from developing countries, categorizing them into discrete adaptation strategies and general climate action strategies. It finds that while these documents help communicate priorities and attract international grants, there is a significant gap in strategic analysis regarding how to leverage public finance to attract private investment. The report emphasizes the need for stronger engagement from ministries of finance and planning, as well as improved country-level tracking of climate finance to measure the actual impact of these strategies.

Kenya's NAP 2015-2030, led by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, seeks to integrate climate change adaptation into national development planning and budgeting to achieve a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. The process identifies key climate impacts such as sea level rise, floods, and drought, and prioritizes sectors including agriculture, health, water, and infrastructure. Implementation is supported by the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) II (2018-2022), which serves as the vehicle for delivering both the NAP and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

The document proposes a framework for Namibia's climate adaptation Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system, designed to track adaptation measures, evaluate their effectiveness in reducing vulnerability, and inform policy. It emphasizes aligning the MEL system with the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), while leveraging existing data systems from the National Statistics Agency and the National Planning Commission. Key recommendations include appointing a dedicated MEL coordinator, developing a results framework with a Theory of Change, and piloting a detailed MEL plan in the agriculture sector over the next two years.

The Somali National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, utilizes a participatory and gender-responsive approach aligned with peacebuilding. The process is currently supported by a Green Climate Fund-funded NAP Readiness Project implemented by the UNDP. Key adaptation priorities include sectors such as agriculture, water, health, and coastal zones, addressing impacts like severe droughts, flooding, and sea level rise. Significant milestones between 2018 and 2022 include the launch of the National Disaster Management Policy, the National Climate Change Policy, and the 2021 NAP Framework.

The report finds that 97% of developing countries submitting NAPs to the UNFCCC now integrate gender considerations, with 29% specifically referring to gender responsiveness—a significant increase from zero in 2018. Additionally, about 50% of NAPs recognize women as agents of change in adaptation planning.

The document provides conceptual clarity on nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), emphasizing that for these solutions to be effective and legitimate, they must integrate gender responsiveness, social inclusion, and robust environmental safeguards.

The report assesses Ethiopia's progress toward healthy and sustainable food systems, highlighting a projected decrease in extreme poverty and undernourishment by 2030 alongside a significant increase in livestock-driven GHG emissions. It examines the country's vulnerability to drought, the role of climate-smart agriculture in improving dietary diversity, and the influence of Official Development Assistance (ODA), with the United States as the primary donor. The document also details the development of national dietary guidelines and analyzes household consumption patterns, noting that wealthier households have higher dietary diversity and meat consumption.

The document explains the Global Stocktake (GST) as a mechanism of the Paris Agreement designed to assess collective progress on mitigation and adaptation to inform the updates of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years. It highlights the challenges of the 'learning-by-doing' approach and encourages developing countries to use their National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Adaptation Communication (AdCom) processes, alongside monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), to provide technical inputs to the GST.

The Global Stocktake (GST) is a five-year iterative cycle under the Paris Agreement designed to assess collective global progress in mitigation, adaptation, and finance. The process consists of three phases: Information Collection and Preparation, Technical Assessment, and Consideration of Outputs. For adaptation, the GST aims to establish a collective monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system to define adequate responses and recognize the efforts of developing countries. The document highlights that National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Adaptation Communications (AdComs) are primary data sources, but encourages the use of Voluntary Submissions to ensure sub-national actions and specific priorities are not lost during the Secretariat's synthesis process.