Abstract

To meet the urgency of the climate crisis, we must substantially accelerate and scale up adaptation efforts. This white paper aims to support this acceleration by identifying the key enabling conditions that unlock systemic, transformational adaptation, particularly for the most vulnerable populations. The opportunity ahead is clear: By strengthening the foundations for adaptation through improved knowledge, finance, governance and market development, we can shift from fragmented initiatives to coordinated, measurable progress. This paper contributes to this shift by offering shared definitions, actionable insights and examples of how enabling conditions can be embedded in policy, as well as investment and implementation on the road to 2030. Despite the increasing impacts of climate on people, ecosystems and economies, adaptation remains underfunded and inadequately implemented. The Global Stocktake confirms that current efforts fall short in scale, speed and equity, leaving low-income communities, women and girls, Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the greatest level of risk. The Race to Resilience (RtR) and Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA) initiatives are working to close this gap. RtR, which involves 42 partners across 160 countries, aims to enhance the resilience of 4 billion people by 2030. To drive near real-time action, the SAA has set measurable targets for 2030 across six systems and two key enablers: finance and policy. RtR’s Metrics Framework based on seven Resilience atributes and the SAA’s system-wide progress signals help to track change. Yet, challenges remain, particularly in measuring transformational impacts. This paper introduces a complementary set of enabling conditions, organised across four pillars and reinforced by equity and partnerships, to strengthen the RtR and SAA frameworks and guide their implementation. The paper concludes with a call for public consultation to co-create a shared agenda for delivery and impact at Conference of the Parties (COP) 30.