Global Alliance Launched to Accelerate Implementation of National Adaptation Plans

By consolidating efforts under a unified strategy, the Alliance intends to transform climate adaptation plans from policy documents into investment strategies capable of attracting finance at scale.

 

The COP30 Presidency has announced a major global initiative aimed at closing one of the most persistent gaps in climate action: the divide between climate adaptation planning and on-the-ground implementation. In partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Governments of Italy and Germany, the NAP Global Network, and the NDC Partnership, leaders unveiled the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Implementation Alliance, a new multistakeholder platform designed to accelerate climate resilience worldwide.

The initiative responds to a critical challenge faced by developing and vulnerable nations: although many countries have advanced their National Adaptation Plans, funding and support for real-world implementation remain inadequate. Fragmented assistance, slow-moving finance, and limited coordination between international actors continue to leave millions exposed to worsening climate impacts such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise, food insecurity, and water stress.

Bridging the Gap Between Planning and Action

The Alliance is structured as a Plan to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) under the COP30 Action Agenda. Its purpose is to streamline global support for NAP implementation by fostering collaboration among the diverse institutions already working in this space. The platform aims to:

• Mobilize public and private investment

• Strengthen country platforms and national coordination mechanisms

• Scale up innovative solutions and technology

• Expand global knowledge exchange on adaptation

• Promote transparency and continuity between successive COPs

• Help countries develop investment-ready pipelines of climate-resilient projects

By consolidating efforts under a unified strategy, the Alliance intends to transform climate adaptation plans from policy documents into investment strategies capable of attracting finance at scale.

A Broad Coalition of Global Actors

The Alliance brings together an unprecedented coalition of governments, international organizations, financial partners, and technical experts. Participants include:

• Governments: Italy, Germany, Kenya, Vanuatu, and others

• Technical partners: UNDP, NAP Global Network, NDC Partnership, Atlantic Council, Natural Resources Defense Council

• Funders and investors: Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, ClimateWorks Foundation, Itaúsa, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank

These actors underscored the urgent need for more coherent and sustained coordination to support developing countries that are already experiencing severe climate damage.

Scaling Up Adaptation Finance as a Development Imperative

UN Assistant Secretary-General Marcos Neto emphasized that expanding adaptation finance is no longer optional—it is essential for global development and stability.

“Scaling up adaptation finance is a development imperative,” he said, highlighting UNDP’s readiness to contribute through its decades-long presence in developing countries and its leadership in the G7 Adaptation Accelerator Hub, created with Italy. The initiative will also become a core component of UNDP’s Climate Promise: Forward, which unites UN agencies in supporting countries’ NDC and NAP implementation.

Bringing New Voices — Especially the Private Sector — to the Table

Closing remarks from Youssef Nassef, Director of Adaptation at UNFCCC, and COP30 High-Level Climate Champion Dan Ioschpe emphasized the importance of bringing new actors, particularly from the private sector, into the adaptation space. They stressed that the Alliance provides a mechanism to make the global adaptation ecosystem more dynamic, integrated, and effective.

Alice Amorim, COP30 Programme Director, reiterated that the Alliance is not meant to become another institution but rather a collaborative process.

“We are co-creating a process to bring different entities together and find ways to improve collective action to support the implementation of NAPs,” she said. “Adaptation Plans must become more than documents submitted to the UNFCCC—they should guide investment decisions from both public and private financial institutions.”

Looking Ahead: A Long-Term Systemic Approach

The Alliance will continue to convene partners ahead of COP31 and beyond, supported by the Brazilian Presidency as part of the COP troika. Its long-term vision is to embed a systemic, coordinated approach to climate adaptation that ensures countries receive the resources, technical support, and investment needed to scale resilience initiatives.

As climate impacts intensify globally, the NAP Implementation Alliance represents a major step toward closing the implementation gap—and ensuring the world’s most vulnerable communities can adapt to a rapidly changing climate.