UN Calls for More Investment to Help Countries Cope with Climate Crisis

United Nations has called for more investment in climate change plans to help nations to adapt to an increasingly unstable environment.

In a statement, the UN said: "All nations need to make major cuts to fossil fuel emissions and transition to a low-carbon economy, if we are to have any chance of achieving the aim of reducing global temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels."

"This continues to be the message from the UN but, with so many countries suffering as a result of more frequent extreme weather events, that are threatening food security and global stability, more urgent measures need to be taken, to help countries to adapt to an increasingly hostile planet," the statement noted.

The UN also indicated that climate adaptation solutions are more effective if integrated into long-term strategies and policies. National Adaptation Plans are a crucial governance mechanism for countries to plan for the future and strategically prioritize adaptation needs.

A key part of these plans is to examine climate scenarios decades into the future and combine these with vulnerability assessments for different sectors. These can assist in planning and guiding government decisions on investment, regulatory and fiscal framework changes and raising public awareness.

In the same connection, the UN has argued the nations to  adopt the climate-resilient infrastructure strategy, which refers to assets and systems such as roads, bridges, and power lines that can withstand shocks from extreme climate impacts. "Infrastructure is responsible for 88 per cent of the forecasted costs of adapting to climate change."

According to a report released recently by World Bank, the experts find that climate-resilient infrastructure investments in low and middle-income countries could produce roughly $4.2 trillion in total benefits, around four dollars for each dollar invested. The reasoning is simple. More resilient infrastructure assets pay for themselves as their life-cycle is extended and their services are more reliable.

Tools for encouraging investments in climate-resilient infrastructure include regulatory standards like building codes, spatial planning frameworks such as vulnerability maps, and a strong communication drive to ensure the private sector is aware of climate risks, projections and uncertainties, UN pointed out.

Additionally, the UN sees that climate adaptation solutions are more effective if integrated into long-term strategies and policies. National Adaptation Plans are a crucial governance mechanism for countries to plan for the future and strategically prioritize adaptation needs.