On 10^th November 2022, KEPSA participated in the side event organized by NAP Global Network and the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties of the 27^th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt. The Paris Agreement established the global goal on adaptation in 2015. Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement established the global goal on adaptation to enhance adaptative capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

Mr Sandeep Chamling Rai of WWF gave a background of the global goal on adaptation. He stated that the global goal on adaptation was a response measure to calls from developing countries to scale up action on adaptation with a focus of bring adaptation to parity with mitigation, to increase the visibility of adaptation actions and needs. He went on to say that progress on the adaptation has been slow due to political and methodological challenges.

Mr Chamling added that COP26 established the Glashow – Sharm El Sheikh program with the Global Goal on Adaptation and was a successful outcome of COP26. This, he said, has since been an increasingly common ambition to advance the global goal on adaptation and to fulfil its function as a guiding star to steer adaptation actions and finance. He concluded that key modalities and activities have been established but a detailed program is yet to be drawn.

Other speakers who shed light on the progress of their countries in the adoption of common approaches to adaptation included Mr Thomas Lerenten Lelekoitien from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry- Kenya, Ms Alice Stedman from the United Kingdom, Mr Arthur Becker from Liberia, and Ms Christina Rodriguez from Peru. KEPSA was represented by Ms Faith Ngige - KEPSA/ Climate Business Information Network – Kenya (CBIN-K) Coordinator. Also present from Kenya in the session was Mr Michael Koech – Environment and Social Lead- Airtel Africa.

From the panel, it was clear that progress is taking shape but a lot still needs to be done in order to have a harmonized framework and approach to the global adaptation initiatives across sectors. There is also a need to shift from short-term planning to long-term planning when addressing climate change adaptation solutions in general. COP27 is expected to make a major announcement on the adaptation fund.