About REAP and COP26: What we hope to achieve and why

News
27 October, 2021
Author name:
becky.slack
The world has started to see the benefits of early action, but there is much more that needs to be done, and done fast, if we are to save lives and protect economies.
Female farmer holding bananas and smiling at the camera
Early action can be fruitful for people and communities

Climate change is already devastating lives around the world and we know there is more of the same to come. As we work hard to reduce emissions, we also need to ensure we are doing everything we can to stop extreme weather events from having catastrophic impacts on people around the world.   

The evidence shows that early action saves lives and livelihoods, protects development and resilience gains, is cost effective, and enables faster, cheaper and more dignified humanitarian assistance. 

Yet, despite this, too few governments are taking early action seriously. Currently there is not enough money being invested in the tools and technologies needed, and the approaches that have been tried and tested all too often remain in pilot or project level, with actors working in silos.  

What is REAP? 

REAP – the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership - brings together a growing number of stakeholders from across the climate, development and humanitarian communities with the aim of making one billion people safer from disaster by 2025.  

We are working to achieve four ambitious targets, which will drive a systemic shift towards acting earlier to reduce the impact of disasters and by highlighting the importance of early action. 

Target 1: 50 countries have reviewed and integrated their crisis/ disaster risk management, climate adaptation laws, policies and/or plans to ensure that they reduce climate change impacts and exposure on people and the environment.  

Target 2: 1 billion more people are covered by financing and delivery mechanisms connected to effective early action plans, ensuring they can act ahead of predicted disasters and crises.  

Target 3: $500 million invested in early warning system infrastructure and institutions to target early action in ‘last/first mile’ communities, building on existing initiatives.  

Target 4: 1 billion more people are covered by new or improved early warning systems, including heatwave early warning, connected to longer-term risk management systems, and supported by effective risk communication and public stakeholder dialogue to prompt informed action.  

For information about our partners and to sign up, click here.

Why are we at COP26? 

The world has started to see the benefits of early action, but there is much more that needs to be done, and done fast, if we are to save lives and protect economies. COP26 offers REAP an opportunity to bring together its growing network of partners and to use our collective influence to persuade others of the importance and benefits of early action.  

Our aim is to generate the political momentum and enabling environment needed to ensure relevant actors have the motivation to -, and resources necessary, - to adopt risk- informed early action approaches as a default, so that one billion more people are safer from disaster by 2025.  

At COP26, we will: 

  • Highlight how the race to resilience is just as important as the race to zero 
  • Cast a vision of what risk-informed early action at scale looks like, making the case for further investment given its role in supporting adaptation to the changing climate;  
  • Showcase the fantastic work of our partners from around the world who are already realising the benefits of anticipatory and early approaches, making communities more resilient. 
  • Provide an opportunity for new members to join and for supporters of early action to make further pledges of support and commitments towards the four targets