Scaling locally led adaptation: closing the rhetoric-reality gap

Over 130 governments and organisations have endorsed the eight principles for locally led adaptation (LLA) since their launch at the Global Adaptation Summit in 2021, yet less than 1% of climate finance incorporates locally led approaches.

This gap between rhetoric and reality is costly: with adaptation needs estimated at US$215–387 billion annually against available finance of just $65 billion, ineffective resource allocation has profound consequences for the world’s most climate-vulnerable communities.

This paper examines why LLA – which places decision-making power directly in communities’ hands – has gained widespread policy support but minimal implementation at scale. It explores three potential scenarios for LLA by 2030 and charts pathways from principles to scaled-up practice based on extensive stakeholder consultations.