Landmark proposal at COP27 seeks to make all humans climate-resilient by 2050

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Editor's note: Even as governments and businesses across the world aim to reduce their net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, a new proposal by developing countries at the ongoing COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, seeks a similar goal for another important pillar of climate action: adaptation. The draft negotiation text, released on Friday, urges countries to adopt a framework for climate adaptation, including time-bound goals to be achieved by 2050. Climate adaptation refers to steps that help reduce the vulnerability of people, infrastructure and ecosystems to the effects of climate change. These include early warning systems, drought-resistant crops and flood relief efforts. The climate conference offers an opportunity to push rich countries to provide developing nations with money and expertise required to adopt these measures. In the light of increased human and economic losses caused by extreme weather events this year, adaptation has become a crucial agenda item at the conference. Setting time-bound targets The draft text lays out the following goals:  To reduce the vulnerability of 100% of the global population to climate change by 2050 To improve by …