On the 23rd September 2025 the event Adaptation is Life: Scaling up Financing for Adaptation on the Road to COP30 was held. The event, on the sidelines of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week – and in the lead up to COP30 in Brazil – examined the critical importance of adaptation to development, growth, stability and equity. Ultimately this session sought to reinforce that adaptation is everyone’s business, and that it must be financed, fast and fair.
Leaders from countries in the global north and the global south, private sector and civil society showcased new mechanisms being developed to bring adaptation and loss and damage finance to scale.
You can see a recording of the event here:
About
Climate adaptation is no longer a choice, but rather a vital priority. Alongside efforts to rapidly cut emissions, which must be scaled urgently, climate adaptation is central to national security, economic stability and shared resilience. It protects people and the planet, strengthens local economies, and gives communities the tools to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing climate. We know that financing adaptation pays off — every dollar provided generates more than ten in benefits — saving lives, boosting productivity, and building a safer, healthier world —but much more is needed now to prevent significant losses and damages.
Program
Welcome by moderator
Ms. Megan Rowling, Editor, Climate Home News // X: @meganrowling
Opening remarks: Adaptation is for Life: Adaptation is Everyone’s Business
Mr. Philip Yang, COP30 Special Envoy for cities, Founder, URBEM Institute
Panel 1: Financing Adaptation as critical to development, growth, stability and equity
- Mr. Jay Koh, Founder, Lightsmith Group
- Ms. Tiffany Van Ravenswaay, Climate change advisor for AOSIS // X: @AOSISChair
- Hon. Gillian Martin, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Scotland // X: @GillianMSP
- Mr. Malcolm Dalesa, Climate Attache, Vanuatu Permanent Mission to the UN // X: @dalesamalcolm
Panel 2: Mechanisms to Scale up Finance for Adaptation and Resilience – Ensuring Finance is Fast & Fair
- Ms. Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO of the Climate Investment Funds // X: @tariyeg
- Dr. Heike Henn, Co-Lead change office to build and head a new department for International Climate Action in the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), Germany. // X: @HeikeHenn1
- Mr. Manjeet Dhakal, Lead advisor to the LDC chair on climate change // X: @manjeetdhakal & @LDCChairUNFCCC
- Hon. Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Republic of Ireland // X: @nealerichmond
- Hon. Omotenioye Majekodunmi, Director General of the National Council on Climate Change of Nigeria
- Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association of Peul Women and Autochthonous Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) // X: @hindououmar
Closing reflections: Putting Adaptation at the Heart of COP
- Ms. Alice Amorim, Program Director, COP30 Presidency, Government of Brazil
The event was hosted by DanChurchAid, Talanoa Institute, and UN Foundation
