The Global Adaptation and Resilience Investment work group meeting this week alongside the UN General Assembly in New York during Climate Week provided insights into a dozen significant adaptation finance initiatives.
1. Willis Towers Watson, partnering with the World Economic Forum and several governments, announced at the UN General Assembly the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment. The group focuses on strengthening the market for private and public-sector investment in climate resilient infrastructure, reducing climate risk by shifting the flow of investment toward climate resilient infrastructure, and supporting climate vulnerable geographies to attract investment and prevent capital flight as climate risks intensify.
2. Climate Bond Initiative completed its Climate Resilience Principles, which I co-authored, providing guidance for the investment sector on assessing and addressing climate risks, building climate resilience for all and doing no harm to impacted communities.
3. The Climate Service matured Climanomics, its subscription-based risk analytics software that quantifies financial impacts of climate changes, strengthening the market’s ability to improve an underdeveloped part of climate risk management:
4. The Lightsmith Group raised additional funds for The Climate Resilience and Adaptation Finance & Technology Transfer Facility (CRAFT), seeking US$500 million to invest in 10-20 companies that provide resilience solutions for developing countries, paired with a technical assistance facility for market entry and capacity building.
5. Climate Finance Advisors released Delivering Finance Today for the Climate-Resilient Society of Tomorrow in support of the Global Commission on Adaptation’s report.
6. The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Climate Disclosure Standards Board launched the TCFD Good Practice Handbook to help organizations with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures’ reporting principles and requirements by offering specific examples of effective TCFD reporting.
7. Moody’ acquired Four Twenty Seven Inc. in a move to further climate risk analytics in investment decisions.
8. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development issued the first ever dedicated climate resilience bond, raising US$ 700 million from a $500M issuance.
9. The Global Environment Facility and Lightsmith Group launched the Adaptation SME Accelerator Project ASAP to build an ecosystem of small and medium-sized enterprises engaged in adaptation and climate resilience in developing countries.
10. Rockefeller Foundation continued implementation of The Urban Resilience Fund (TURF) in part to establish a market standard for resilient infrastructure and demonstrate the value of the resilience dividend.
11. The World Bank Group, through its Action Plan on Adaptation and Resilience voiced its intention to scale up funding to $50B by 2025, bringing adaptation and greenhouse gas mitigation finance on par with each another.
12. Climacell launched its consumer weather ap to disrupt weather forecasting.
Onward with more money for resilience and adaptation!
Image credit:NASA