A First International Summit on Climate Adaptation

These leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, are expected to take part by videoconference in the Climate Adaptation Summit organized by the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will also attend.

The meeting, which will also include current UN Secretary-General António Guterres and his predecessor Ban Ki-moon, is expected to result in an « adaptation action program » to address impacts such as rising sea levels, extreme weather, and poor harvests.

Much remains to be done, says Ban Ki-moon

« This year, 2021, will feature several turning points in which leaders and people around the world will demonstrate their true commitment. We have not done much in terms of adaptation so far, » he told journalists last week.

The summit is being held almost entirely online due to the pandemic.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that his country, one-third of which lies below sea level, has centuries of experience in protecting land from water and hopes to share this knowledge with others.

« If we do not learn to manage the consequences, if we cannot adapt, the impact will be disastrous,» he said in a video address. « Along with many world leaders, I will launch a detailed adaptation action program.»

Boris Johnson plans to launch an international initiative called the Adaptation Action Coalition, involving the United Kingdom, Egypt, Bangladesh, Malawi, the Netherlands, Saint Lucia, and the United Nations.

Cette coalition travaillera à traduire les engagements politiques internationaux en matière d’adaptation et de résistance au changement climatique en soutien sur le terrain aux communautés vulnérables, selon Downing Street.

Downing Street also stated in a press release that Boris Johnson is expected to say at the summit: « There is no denying that climate change is already happening and is already devastating lives and economies. We must adapt to the changing climate, and we must do so now.»

This summit is the first to focus specifically on the effects of climate change, according to organizers. Previous ones had mainly addressed the causes of the phenomenon, including emissions. Les précédents étaient principalement consacrés à la lutte contre les causes du phénomène, notamment les émissions.

The objective is to reduce countries’ vulnerability to sea-level rise, extreme weather, and food shortages.

The program may include strengthening sea defenses, but also exploring how to take advantage of new opportunities such as longer growing seasons and the emergence of new arable zones, organizers said.

The summit will also focus heavily on securing new investments to ensure that millions of smallholder farmers can adapt to climate pressures affecting food production, according to the UN’s website.

Organizers have called for significant new funding for agricultural research, expanded access to advisory services for farmers, and improved access to risk‑management and financial services.