Preparing for a Riskier World Is Becoming a Bigger Part of Climate Talks

As the COP30 climate summit in Brazil draws to an end this week, negotiators are still struggling over an agreement over how to transition away from fossil fuel — and those difficulties make another aspect of the talks, over how to adapt to an inevitably hotter world, even more crucial.

Adaptation has drawn renewed focus from high-profile climate philanthropists like Bill Gates, who recently called for governments to “pivot” towards funding those types of interventions. A record amount from philanthropic foundations flowed to adaptation last year, and this funding more than doubled to $870 million between 2021 and 2024.