Refining the Global Goal on Adaptation ahead of COP28

As the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) approaches, it is increasingly crucial to understand and develop clear actions for not only mitigation but also adaptation. Ahead of COP28, there is a need for conceptual clarity as to what exactly the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) aims to achieve and how it can be globally applicable when adaptation is so often locally implemented. One way to clarify the GGA is to adopt well-being as the ultimate outcome toward which countries should be working. While it is important to have a framework to give more clarity and structure to the GGA, the focus of this paper is on clarifying the high-level goal itself—in other words, toward what end point the framework should guide adaptation processes. What will a state of enhanced adaptive capacity, greater resilience, and reduced vulnerability look like? In what areas is adaptation most crucial to ensure human and planetary survival and wellbeing in the face of climate change? This paper presents non-exhaustive responses to these questions based on analysis of available literature. We argue that at the most basic level, the Global Goal on Adaptation should aim to achieve human and planetary well-being even in the face of the adverse impacts of climate change.