By Teresa Ribera, Tina Stege, Andrea Meza, Carolina Schmidt, Kitty Van der Heijden and Carole Dieschbourg*
Opinion - Our world is facing a climate emergency. Generations of leaders before us ignored the science and did not do enough.
We have inherited an urgent need to reduce emissions as fast as possible to hold temperature rise to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. We are all deeply committed to that fight.
Walelasoetxeige Paiter Bandeira Surui, an indigenous activist from the Paiter Surui people of the state of Rondonia, Brazil poses for a photograph on the sidelines of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference. Photo: AFP or licensors
But as we look around us, we already see extreme climate events spiralling out of control.
We see droughts in Latin America, wildfires in Siberia, floods in Germany and China, hurricanes across the Caribbean and the Pacific, and king tides that wash away the shores of coral atolls.
These tragedies are occurring at a 1.2C increase above pre-industrial levels. Even if we are able to keep within the temperature limit of 1.5C, we need to adapt to the changes our world already faces, which are set to become increasingly severe.
We cannot afford either/or thinking when it comes to mitigation and adaptation - we simply have to do both.
We know that our fellow women and girls will be some of the first to suffer its effects. Natural disasters - which will only increase in number and severity as the climate crisis continues - result in a lower life expectancy for women as compared to men.
Women take part in a march for the environment in Dakar on October 23, 2021, one week before the COP26 global climate summit. Photo: AFP or licensors
Studies have found that women are more at risk of dying in heatwaves, which are increasing. Migration, which climate change is likely to increase, also exposes women to increased risk of gender-based violence; an estimated 60 to 90 percent of women are raped as they make their way through major migration routes.
As women leaders we know that adaptation is both necessary and possible. We can protect ocean ecosystems, coral reefs and mangroves, and build sea walls that protect communities from the onslaught of sea level rise, at least for some time.
We can strengthen water systems and help farmers diversify their crops to make them more resilient to climate-related shocks. We can raise buildings and the land they are built on. We can help communities likely to be displaced to move safely and with dignity.
Women and girls have long been leaders in tackling the climate crisis - and we can take the lead in building a more resilient planet for ourselves, and for future generations.
At the Climate Strike at Parliament April 2021 "You Know it's a Problem when it's Hotter than Me". Photo: ©VNP / Phil Smith
All of these ways of adapting to climate change will save lives, protect livelihoods and contribute to critical development goals.
But we have to face the reality that building a world that is resilient to climate change will cost significant amounts of money. These necessary investments do not always provide an ongoing financial return in the same way that investing in clean energy does. But that money represents astounding value in comparison to what the cost will be if we don't act now.
A good place to start is to look at what's already been promised - the existing climate finance commitment of $100 billion per annum - and to commit to significantly scaling up adaptation finance seeking a true balance between adaptation and mitigation financing.
This is what the UN Secretary-General has called on countries to do. We join this call, and urge all other leaders to adopt it too. This won't come close to meeting the long-term adaptation needs, particularly of the most vulnerable countries who will need to adapt with great urgency and extreme measures, but it will be a crucial contribution.
Making this a commitment is not just about the money; it is also about what it represents. It is a signal to countries on the front line that they are not canaries in a coal mine, alone as they face the impacts of the climate crisis wrought by decades of inaction by others.
It will demonstrate the solidarity that is critical for making global cooperation work, particularly in trying times.
And it is the only way that we will come through the climate crisis with our humanity intact.
* The authors are Vice President and Minister of Environment Teresa Ribera (Spain), Climate Envoy Tina Stege (Marshalls), Minister Andrea Meza (Costa Rica), Minister Carolina Schmidt (Chile), Vice Minister Kitty Van der Heijden (Netherlands) and Minister Carole Dieschbourg (Luxembourg).