The UN and World Meteorological Organisation launched their heat-risk governance toolkit this week, marking the first comprehensive attempt to treat extreme heat as a proper policy challenge, rather than just a meteorological inconvenience. The timing is prescient: as Turkey hits new record temperatures of 50.5°C and more than half of the US population bake in extreme heat conditions, the "silent killer" narrative is finally getting the institutional attention it deserves.

The new framework - unveiled at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction - emphasises integrated early warning systems and cross-sectoral coordination. Translation: no more treating heat as solely a health ministry problem when it affects everything from energy grids to agricultural yields. The approach builds on the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat, which outlines actions in four critical areas: care for the vulnerable, protecting workers, boosting resilience using data and science, and limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The Climate Policy Initiative's most recent 2025 Global Landscape of Climate Finance tracked $5.7 billion in private adaptation finance in 2023, a figure that represents genuine progress in measurement, if not yet in scale. The actual amount flowing is likely "significantly higher”, CPI notes, given the notorious difficulty of tracking corporate balance sheet investments and spending.

The methodology upgrade matters more than the numbers themselves. By improving taxonomy frameworks and capturing previously invisible flows - from insurance premiums that incentivise resilient construction, to consumer spending on adaptation technologies, CPI’s reporting is making the business case for adaptation visible. Public sector finance still dominates - at 98% of tracked flows, but at least now we can measure what private capital is actually doing, rather than just lamenting its absence.

The Global Environment Facility's $40 million commitment to Liberia, Malawi, and Rwanda offers an example of the community-focused adaptation finance sought after by adaptation and development practitioners. With over $200 million in co-financing mobilised, the projects will restore 118,000 hectares while directly benefiting nearly 800,000 people.

The initiative exemplifies the increasing sophistication of nature-based solutions: Liberia secures finance for coastal ecosystem restoration by smallholder farmers, Malawi receives Bua River basin restoration targeting women and youth, while Rwanda implements ecosystem-based adaptation across six districts. It's the kind of long-term, catalytic investment in resilience which should be replicated.

Meanwhile, the Kiwa Initiative delivered its own tranche of adaptation finance: funding 15 new locally-led projects across 10 Pacific Island countries and territories. Selected from 166 proposals, the funding span everything from community-based fisheries management in Kiribati to invasive species control and the creation of conservation areas. With 41 total projects now reaching over 220,000 beneficiaries, Kiwa demonstrates what sustained, patient investment in community-driven adaptation can achieve.

Brazil is positioning health at the forefront of climate in the lead-up to COP30, with the WHO Global Conference on Climate and Health this week (July 29-31) set to launch the Belém Health Action Plan. The plan represents the first serious attempt to mainstream health considerations into climate negotiations, built around three action lines: surveillance and monitoring, evidence-based policy strategy and capacity building, and innovation and production.

The conference signals a broader shift toward treating health as a core climate pillar rather than an afterthought. With the WHO's new Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health already adopted, and Brazil aiming to make health central to COP30, the intersection of adaptation and health is gaining a foothold in climate policy conversations.

Swedish fintech giant Klarna has launched an AI for Climate Resilience Program offering grants of up to $300,000 for pioneering projects that leverage artificial intelligence for climate adaptation in underserved, climate-vulnerable regions. Klarna are inviting proposals from organisations working to reduce vulnerability of local communities to climate-related risks in low- and middle-income countries.

The program aims to back projects that help local communities adapt to a changing climate and build long-term resilience. For example, strengthening food security, enhancing health systems, and building coastal resilience in regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. Projects must demonstrate a clear use case for AI, a pathway to local ownership, and a commitment to responsible, collaborative innovation. Early-stage ideas are also welcome, especially from teams needing support to refine technical details or implementation plans.

The deadline for applications is August 31, projects should last 12-18 months, and successful projects will commence in January 2026.

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