Global Center on Adaptation

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) was founded on 18 September 2018.[1] Hosted by the Netherlands, GCA engages in policy activities, research, communications, and technical assistance to government and the private sector, policy development, research, advocacy, communications, and partnerships.[2] GCA's floating headquarters is hosted by the Netherlands in Rotterdam,[3] with regional offices in Africa,[2] South Asia,[4] and Asia Pacific.[5]

GCA is led by CEO Patrick V. Verkooijen,[1] and Co-Chairs Ban Ki-moon and Feike Sijbesma.

African leaders including the African Union and Climate Vulnerable Forum presidencies, and the leadership of the African Development Bank, gathered at the Global Center on Adaptation headquarters in Rotterdam on 5 September 2022 for the Africa Adaptation Summit.

GCA's flagship program, co-designed in partnership with the African Development Bank Group and endorsed by the African Union, is the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP).[6] President Uhuru Kenyatta was inaugurated as Global Champion for the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program on 7 July 2022.[7] On 5 September 2022, GCA hosted the Africa Adaptation Summit to ramp up solutions and funding for climate adaptation in the African continent.[8] The summit was attended by global leaders including Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others.[9]

GCA Floating Office Rotterdam

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GCA's headquarters is in the largest floating office in the world, moored in the Rijnhaven in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[10][11][12] The office is off-grid, carbon neutral, self-sufficient, and an example of existing adaptation to climate change impacts such as rising sea levels.[13][14] The floating office was inaugurated on 6 September 2021 by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.[15]

Global Commission on Adaptation

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The Global Commission on Adaptation was launched in The Hague on 16 October 2018.[16][17] Established by Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and the leaders of 22 other convening countries, the Commission launched. The Commission was co-managed by GCA and the World Resources Institute.[18] In 2019, at the UN Climate Action Summit, the Commission launched a Year of Action to implement the recommendations from Adapt Now and accelerate the necessary transitions for change. The Commissioners oversaw the development of the flagship report and guided the Year of Action. In January 2021, the Global Commission on Adaptation formally concluded at the Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Dutch government. GCA is taking forward the work of the Commission through its Programs.[19]

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, led the group of global leaders from political, business, multilateral, and scientific worlds.

Commissioners[19]
Name Title
Akinwumi Adesina President, African Development Bank
Inger Andersen Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
Michelle Bachelet United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Winnie Byanyima Executive Director, UNAIDS
Jagan Chapagain Secretary General, IFRC
Peter Damgaard Jensen CEO, PKA Ltd
Patricia Espinosa Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
Christiana Figueres Former Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
Li Ganjie Former Minister of Ecology and Environment, China
Hilda Heine Former President of the Marshall Islands
Anne Hidalgo Mayor, Paris
Emma Howard Boyd Chair of the Environment Agency, UK
Agnes Kalibata President, AGRA
Loren Legarda Deputy Speaker and Representative of the Lone District of Antique, Philippines
Strive Masiyiwa Founder and Chairman, Econet Wireless
José Antonio Meade Former Finance Minister, Mexico
Shri C.K Mishra Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India
Keith Mitchell Prime Minister, Grenada
Gerd Müller Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany
Muhammad Musa Executive Director of BRAC International
Cora van Nieuwenhuizen Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands
Sheela Patel Chair, Slum Dwellers International
Carlos Manuel Rodriguez CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum Attorney General and Minister for Economy, Civil Service and Communications, Fiji
Feike Sijbesma Chairman of Royal DSM
Andrew Steer President and CEO, World Resources Institute
Achim Steiner Administrator, UNDP
Francis Suarez Mayor, Miami
Petteri Taalas Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
Axel van Trotsenburg Managing Director of Operations, World Bank
Shemara Wikramanayake CEO, Macquarie Group Ltd.
Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Canada

The leaders of the convening countries committed to catalyzing a global adaptation movement and work together to support the work of the Global Commission.

Convening Countries[19]
Name
1   Argentina
2   Bangladesh
3   Canada
4   Chile
5   China
6   Costa Rica
7   Denmark
8   Ethiopia
9   Germany
10   Grenada
11   India
12   Indonesia
13   Marshall Islands
14   Mexico
15   Netherlands
16   Peru
17   Republic of Korea
18   Senegal
19   South Africa
20   United Arab Emirates
21   United Kingdom
22   Uzbekistan
23   Vietnam

History

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The Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation (GCECA) was founded by the Government of the Netherlands with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), NIES Japan[20][21][22] and the Philippines.[23] GCECA, hosted in Groningen and Rotterdam,[24] was launched at UN Climate Summit COP 23 on 14 November 2017.[25][26][27] During COP 23, the Centre organised a side event, "What is Excellence in Climate Adaptation?"[28] and supported the launch of the UN Environment Adaptation Gap Report 2017: Towards Global Assessment[29][30][31]

The Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation became the Global Center on Adaptation on 18 September 2018.[1]

References

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  2. ^ a b Hub, IISD's SDG Knowledge. "Global Center on Adaptation Sets Up Regional Home in Africa | News | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD". Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. ^ Putzier, Konrad (18 February 2020). "Are Floating Hotels, Office Buildings the Answer to Rising Sea Levels?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
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  22. ^ Mwangi<pdnmwangi-at-gmail.com>, Patrick. "Netherlands to Host Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation | Climate Change". web.unep.org. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  23. ^ "THE HAGUE PE MEETS WITH OFFICIAL ON GLOBAL CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON CLIMATE ADAPTATION". www.thehaguepe.dfa.gov.ph. 26 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
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