GGA (Global Goal on Adaptation)

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) was established under Article 7.1 of the Paris Agreement (2015), which sets out the aim of "enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change, with a view to contributing to sustainable development." Unlike the mitigation goal, which is anchored in a measurable temperature target (1.5°C/2°C), the GGA is qualitative, making it harder to track collective progress.

To operationalise the goal, COP26 in Glasgow (2021) launched the Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh work programme on the GGA, a two-year process running through COP27 (2022) in Sharm el-Sheikh and concluding at COP28 (2023) in Dubai. At COP28, parties adopted the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, which set out thematic targets in areas including water, food and agriculture, health, ecosystems, infrastructure, poverty eradication, and cultural heritage, alongside dimensional targets covering the adaptation policy cycle (impact assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning).

The framework also launched a follow-up UAE–Belém work programme to develop indicators for measuring progress, intended to be finalised at COP30 in Belém, Brazil (2025). A central political dispute throughout negotiations has been the link between the GGA and means of implementation — particularly adaptation finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building — with the G77+China and the African Group pressing developed countries for clearer financial commitments, while developed countries have resisted treating finance as a standalone GGA target.

The GGA also intersects with the Global Stocktake under Article 14, which assesses collective progress on adaptation alongside mitigation and means of implementation. For delegates, key flashpoints typically include: indicator selection, common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) language, the role of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and whether quantified finance sub-goals should sit inside the GGA architecture.