The Adaptation Gap Report 2026: Ready? Not. has just been released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the UNEP Cophenhagen Climate Centre and World Adaptation Science Programme. Chapter 2 of the report addresses adaptation progress, and was led by Paul Watkiss, Blanche Butera, Nella Canales, Dipesh Chapagain and Pieter Pauw, with contributions from Natacha Akaliza, Stephanie Ockenden, Adriana Quevedo, Georgia Savvidou and Katharine Vincent.
The report estimates needs at around US$305 billion per year by 2035, rising when private sector needs are included. International public adaptation finance from developed to developing countries reached US$28.2–31.7 billion in 2024, an increase of US$1 billion from 2023. Growth remains well below the pace required to meet the Glasgow Climate Pact goal of approximately US$40 billion by 2025.
Analysis of gender equality and social inclusion in costed adaptation actions in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) of non-Annex I countries was undertaken, using a GESI spectrum of blind, specific, integrative and responsive categories. It finds that 26 of the 112 costed documents (21 per cent) include dedicated allocations for GESI interventions, averaging 3.8 per cent of total adaptation finance needs and ranging from 0.02 to 20.1 per cent. Consideration continues to be dominated by gender, with 22 of the 26 documents gender-integrative and four gender-specific. Social inclusion is addressed less often, but coverage of disability, age, Indigeneity, sexual orientation and migration status has increased since the 2023 analysis. Document analysis alone cannot show whether the growth in GESI language reflects genuine shifts in approach or more superficial engagement.