.png)
Here at Green World Views, we are used to reading sobering reports. But the latest flagship analysis from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the Adaptation Gap Report 2025, is particularly stark.
The report's subtitle says it all: "Running on empty: The world is gearing up for climate resilience - without the money to get there".
In short, while the world is slowly getting better at planning for climate change, the money required to actually implement these plans is not just missing—it's a widening chasm. We are, quite literally, running on empty.
Here are the key findings from this vital report.
1. The Sobering Numbers: A Widening Finance Chasm
The gap between the money developing countries need to adapt to climate change and the money they are receiving is astronomical and growing.
The report finds that:
- The Need: Estimated adaptation finance needs for developing countries are in the range of US$310 billion to US$365 billion per year by 2035.
- The Flow: In stark contrast, international public adaptation finance flows were just US$26 billion in 2023.
- The Gap: This leaves a staggering finance gap of US$284 billion to US$339 billion per year.
To put that in perspective, the report states that the adaptation finance needs of developing countries are at least 12 times as much as the current international public finance flows.
Worryingly, the report notes that finance flows actually fell slightly in 2023 from 2022 levels. The trend is going in the wrong direction.
2. A Broken Promise: The Glasgow Goal Will Be Missed
You may remember the pledge from the Glasgow Climate Pact at COP26. Developed countries committed to doubling their 2019 adaptation finance flows to approximately US$40 billion per year by 2025.
According to the UNEP report, if current trends continue, this goal will be missed.
The report also warns that the new climate finance goal (NCQG) set at COP 29 - at least US$300 billion per year by 2035 for both mitigation and adaptation - is insufficient. Once you factor in inflation, the report estimates that adaptation needs alone could be as high as US$440-520 billion annually by 2035.
3. Are We Planning, or Just Making Plans?
There is some good news. The report shows that countries are taking adaptation planning seriously. A total of 172 countries now have at least one national adaptation plan or strategy in place.
However, the report digs deeper and finds a critical flaw:
- 36 countries possess plans that are outdated - either over 10 years old or have not been updated within their stated period of validity.
In a world of rapidly accelerating climate impacts, a 10-year-old plan is less a guide for the future and more a historical document.
4. Can the Private Sector Fill the Void?
There is often talk of the private sector stepping in to fill the finance gap. The UNEP report analyses this potential in detail and concludes it is not a silver bullet.
- The Potential: The report estimates the private sector could deliver approximately 15-20% of total national adaptation needs (around US$50 billion per year).
- The Reality: Current tracked private sector flows for adaptation are tiny, at roughly US$5 billion per year.
- The Catch: The report highlights a crucial distinction between financing and funding. Most innovative private finance models (like loans or investment platforms) still transfer the ultimate cost of adaptation back to the developing countries or households. They are providing the cash up front, but they are not paying for it.
What This Means
The message from the 2025 Adaptation Gap Report is unequivocal: we are failing to fund climate resilience.
While some progress has been made on implementing projects - with record support from key UN funds in 2024 - it is a drop in the ocean. The vast majority of adaptation actions reported by countries are institutional (like creating policies) rather than structural (like building flood defences). And countries are far better at reporting on their outputs (e.g., "we held a workshop") than on their impacts (e.g., "we are now safer from floods").
The Brazilian Presidency of the upcoming COP 30 has called for a “mutirão global” - a global collective effort - to bridge this gap.
This report is a wake-up call. Without adequate funding, adaptation plans are just paper. As climate impacts intensify, this finance gap will be measured not in dollars, but in lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems lost.
What do you think? Is it time to rethink our entire approach to climate finance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.