This report provides a stocktake of adaptation progress and calls on leaders from both continents to champion adaptation action in the lead-up to the 7th AU-EU Summit. It was produced by the Africa-Europe Foundation for the new institutional and programming cycle of the European and African Union Commissions (AU-EU), which started in February 2025.
A nautical pass and a boat grounded on the cracked ground in the La Viñuela reservoir, Málaga, Spain. September 01, 2022.
The Africa-Europe climate partnership is valued but under strain due to unmet commitments, limited access to finance, and slow visible progress in implementation. By elevating adaptation within the AU-EU partnership, Africa and Europe can strengthen cooperation to address the pressing challenges posed by climate risks while advancing socio-economic development across both continents, yielding wide-ranging co-benefits.
To forge a genuine climate adaptation partnership, both continents must build trust through transparency and accountability in climate diplomacy, finance, and on-the-ground delivery.
By COP30, the EU must fulfill its commitment to double climate adaptation finance compared to 2019, contribute its ‘fair share’ to the New Quantified Collective Goal (NCQG) while navigating the financing gap left by the US, demonstrate leadership in convening key actors and advancing the ‘Baku to Belem’ $1.3 trillion roadmap, and work towards an ambitious Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) with indicators capable of attracting both public and private investment. Furthermore, by COP30, it will be timely for the EU to set a new adaptation finance target, replacing the COP26 pledge to double adaptation finance by 2025. Achieving these objectives will be crucial for closing the adaptation gap, restoring trust with Africa, and maintaining EU’s leadership in global climate adaptation efforts.
Team Leader: International Climate Risk and Adaptation; Senior Research Fellow
SEI Headquarters
Feature / SEI and partners created a climate village at a historic arts festival in Hungary to bring youth views and artistic expression into climate policy discussions.
Event on 18 May – 21 May in Cavtat / Luke Gooding will present a new paper which focuses on scaling participatory retrofit across diverse housing stocks.
Feature / This photo story outlines insights about key factors in the success or failure of renewable energy financing projects based on observations in Mozambique.
