Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their cooperation and stimulate efforts to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change.

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Virtual signing of |MoU between OECD and Global Center on Adaptation on 27 May 2021
Virtual signing ceremony by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría (top left) and CEO of GCA Patrick Verkooijen (photo: GCA)
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Virtual signing of |MoU between OECD and Global Center on Adaptation on 27 May 2021
Virtual signing ceremony by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría (top left) and CEO of GCA Patrick Verkooijen (photo: GCA)

Not waiting for the storm to break

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría, and CEO of GCA Patrick Verkooijen, signed the MoU at a virtual ceremony on 27 May. At the signing, Angel Gurría urged to make tangible progress towards the Paris Agreement’s goal of increasing adaptation to climate change. ‘In the past it often has taken an extreme natural catastrophe for climate adaptation to come to the forefront of policy agendas. But this way of waiting for the storm to break to take action is no longer tenable,’Gurría said.

Patrick Verkooijen noted: ‘During the Covid crisis, climate impacts have only accelerated. The climate emergency demands a coordinated response to build resilience. Our enhanced cooperation with OECD going forward will help us to catalyse efficient and equitable adaptation solutions.’

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Dialogue between Gurria (left), Ban Ki-Moon (middle) and Verkooijen during the Climate Adaptation Summit on 27 January 2021
Earlier this year Angel Gurría (left) and Patrick Verkooijen met during the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021. (photo: OECD)
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Dialogue between Gurria (left), Ban Ki-Moon (middle) and Verkooijen during the Climate Adaptation Summit on 27 January 2021
Earlier this year Angel Gurría (left) and Patrick Verkooijen met during the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021. (photo: OECD)

Mainstream into policy processes

The MoU formalises the growing collaboration between the GCA and the OECD in which the two organisations jointly committed to facilitate adaptation to climate change that is economically efficient, socially inclusive and equitable, adapted to local needs as well as environmentally sustainable. 

Through this strategically important partnership both organisations will jointly work to identify new strategic areas of common interest for enhanced collaboration such as the development and dissemination of knowledge, experiences, lessons learnt and good practices.

The aim is to mainstream climate adaptation into relevant policy processes, including at sub-national and local levels, financing mechanism and efforts to help raise the awareness and importance of climate change adaptation both domestically and internationally.
 

This news item was originally published on the website of Global Centre on Adaptation