DanChurchAid calls for more climate adaptation finance as UN report warns of growing gap

New UN report warns that the adaptation finance gap threatens lives and livelihoods. DanChurchAid urges stakeholders at COP31 to close the adaptation gap.

COPENHAGEN, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, November 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DanChurchAid urges COP31 to close the adaptation finance gap
New UN report: The gap puts lives and livelihoods at risk.

A new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights the alarming gap between the finance developing countries need to adapt to climate change and the resources currently available.

According to UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2026, even if governments deliver on their commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035, significant financing needs will remain.

DanChurchAid warns that behind the financial figures are people whose lives and livelihoods are increasingly threatened by climate change.

Mattias Söderberg, Global Climate Lead at DanChurchAid, comments:
“Behind the billions of dollars are real people. When adaptation finance falls short, families lose their homes, farmers lose their harvests, and communities lose their livelihoods. This is not just a financial gap. It is a human tragedy.”

Adaptation is an investment, not just a cost
DanChurchAid highlights the economic opportunities associated with investing in climate resilience. Adaptation can protect businesses, infrastructure, agricultural production and international supply chains, while supporting economic development.

“Climate adaptation is not just a cost. It is an investment in our future. Protecting farms, roads, ports and communities also means protecting jobs, trade and economic development. Governments and businesses should see adaptation as an opportunity, not merely an expense,” says Söderberg.

However, private investment cannot replace public adaptation finance, particularly for vulnerable communities where investments may generate significant social benefits without offering commercial returns.

Failure to adapt means growing loss and damage
As global temperatures rise, insufficient investment in adaptation increases the risk of irreversible loss and damage, particularly in the world’s most vulnerable countries. The report highlights the risks related to loss and damage, and the need to support affected people and communities.

“When we fail to invest in adaptation today, we risk paying a much higher price tomorrow. And that price is not only measured in dollars. It is measured in lives lost, homes destroyed and futures taken away,” says Söderberg.

COP31 must deliver on finance for adaptation and loss and damage
The report comes just days before COP31 in Türkiye, where adaptation finance is expected to become a major political issue. At COP30 in Brazil, governments agreed to triple adaptation finance by 2035. However, questions remain about how this commitment will be implemented and monitored. The African Group of Negotiators has called for adaptation finance to receive dedicated attention on the COP31 agenda, reflecting concerns that the commitment may not translate into actual funding.

“I understand why African countries are demanding that adaptation finance be put on the agenda. We have seen too many promises that were never properly followed up. The decision to triple adaptation finance was an important achievement. Now governments must agree on how to turn that commitment into real support for vulnerable countries and communities,” says Söderberg.

Notes to editors:

- UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2026 is published on 4 November 2026.
- COP31 begins on 9 November in Antalya, Türkiye.
- DanChurchAid is an international humanitarian and development organisation working with communities affected by poverty, conflict and climate change. Follow our COP31 engagement: https://www.danchurchaid.org/cop31-engagement

Media contact
Mattias Söderberg
Global Climate Lead, DanChurchAid

Mattias Sõderberg
DanChurchAid
+45 29 70 06 09
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