New UNEP Report – Wealthy Countries Failing on Climate Adaptation; Funding Drops Despite Rising Needs
The Hague, Netherlands — A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that the need for climate adaptation support in developing countries is rising sharply, while funding remains stagnant. For CARE’s Climate Justice Center (CJC), the findings are a stark warning ahead of COP30 in Belém, where world leaders must close the growing adaptation finance gap.
The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 (AGR25) reveals that adaptation efforts and finance remain far below what is needed to manage accelerating climate risks, as progress on planning still lags real implementation. It also warns that the world is off track to meet the 1.5°C temperature goal, making adaptation increasingly difficult and costly.
“The report sends a stark message: global financial support for adaptation remains far below what’s needed,” says Marlene Achoki, Global Climate Justice Policy and Advocacy Lead at CARE. “The scale of need is immense, up to $300 billion per year, yet current funding barely scratches the surface. COP30 must secure a new adaptation finance commitment to significantly scale up implementation of adaptation needs urgently and effectively to protect women and girls from flooded homes, failed harvests, collapsing economies, widening inequality, and pushing millions back into poverty.”
According to the report, developing countries will need between $310 and $365 billion per year by 2035 for climate adaptation, at least twelve times more than current levels.
“This is not just a funding gap; it’s a global failure,” says John Nordbo, Senior Climate Change Advisor at CARE Denmark. “The longer we delay, the more expensive it becomes, and the more people lose their homes, livelihoods—and, in the worst cases, their lives. Millions are paying the price for a crisis they did not create.”
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Note to Editors
- CARE’s climate change experts are available for interviews.
- Press contact:
Monica Ellena – CARE Climate Justice Center – Global Communication Lead
ellena@careinternational.org
About CARE International
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE International CARE International works in more than 100 countries, focusing on humanitarian response, development, climate resilience, and gender equality.
About CARE Climate Justice Center
The CARE Climate Justice Center (CJC) leads and coordinates the integration of climate justice and resilience across CARE International’s development and humanitarian work. The CJC is an initiative powered by CARE Denmark, CARE France, CARE Germany, CARE Netherlands, and CARE International UK. To learn more, visit www.careclimatechange.org
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New UNEP Report – Wealthy Countries Failing on Climate Adaptation; Funding Drops Despite Rising Needs
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