Demystifying adaptation finance for the private sector

Geneva: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Much of the discussion on adaptation finance to date has focused on public spending. However, it is clear that a large share of the required adaptation measures, as well as the corresponding financing needs, will need to be provided by private sector actors.
This report finds that substantial investment in adaptation and resilience is already occurring in the private sector, financed by private capital. This investment is being undertaken within private enterprises of varying scales in response to the shifting market conditions driven by climate change. Understanding how this investment occurs, what drives it and how it is financed, is a low-cost entrance for governments and policy makers seeking to increase levels of adaptation.
The ultimate aim of this report is to analyse the role of public actors in order to inform the way in which public finance and policy can be used to catalyse private investments in adaptation. The report focuses on the barriers inhibiting private financial flows for adaptation and how these barriers may be removed by public intervention.