New study: Engaging the Private Sector in National Adaptation Planning Processes

Worker on a flooded field

Photo © GIZ / Ursula Meissner

Adapting to the impacts of climate change, whether at the national, sub-national or community level, is not the responsibility of national governments alone. It requires the coordinated input of multiple stakeholders, including local authorities, development partners, communities and civil society. Businesses and investors also need to be involved, as they are the key engines of economic growth in developing countries, accounting for 60 per cent of gross domestic product, 80 per cent of capital flows and 90 per cent of jobs. They will be relied on to create the jobs needed to support adaptation, to develop the products and services needed for societies to become more climate-resilient, and to finance—directly or indirectly—many adaptation actions. The strategic and well-informed inclusion of the private sector in climate change adaptation planning and activities must be a key part of all countries’ efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change; they will be key partners in the design, financing and implementation of adaptation priorities.

The National Adaptation Plan process differs from past processes in that it offers a medium- and long-term vision of national adaptation action, aligned with development plans and with a supporting regulatory and policy framework. If properly communicated, it foregrounds a country’s key climate vulnerabilities. It therefore can provide all stakeholders, including the private sector, with a stable and predictable roadmap for a government’s priorities on national adaptation.

This study aims to offer guidance to governments and their partners on how to engage the private sector in the NAP process. Private sector engagement in the NAP process, for the purposes of this paper, is defined as the meaningful involvement of private sector actors—ranging in size, sector, motivation and whether they operate in the formal or informal sector—in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of national adaptation planning processes. Governments remain the overall owners and drivers of the NAP process. However, for NAPs to be successfully implemented and climate resilience strengthened, private sector actors will need to be involved.

The study was developed by the NAP Global Network, in collaboration with and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

Access the study here

Recent News

New movie series “Living Adaptation” is out now!

Now available on Adaptation Community: The new movie series “Living Adaptation” showcases best practice examples of climate change adaptation measures in agriculture and rural development. It contains four short video clips presenting best practices from GIZ India, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and a regional project in southern Africa. The accompanying overarching movie, titled “Pathways to Climate Resilient Agri-Food Systems” and published by BMZ, briefly introduces the topic of climate change adaptation in agriculture and rural development more broadly – and gives a quick glimpse into the various country experiences.

Read More »

2nd cohort of the Private Investment in Adaptation Bootcamp (PrivABoo) kicks off

During June and July 2023, Private Adaptation Finance (PAF) organized the kick-off events for the second cohort of the Private Adaptation Investment Bootcamp (PrivABoo) program. The main objective of these events was to formally launch the program and outline the activities and expected outcomes for 18 selected small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Pakistan.

Read More »

Linking Agroecology and Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Climate Resilient Landscapes

This new report, which suggests to link Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) with agroecological approaches to transform our agri-food systems in a climate resilient and nature-friendly way, is now online! It outlines three case studies applying the approach in India, Kenya, and Guatemala, providing practical steps to merge agroecology and EbA to adapt agricultural landscapes to climate change.

Read More »