Information for journalists: How REAP can help you cover COP26

News
27 October, 2021
Author name:
becky.slack
A lot of media attention has rightly been given to the reduction of carbon emissions. But this is only half the story. There is another important part of the picture which is needed if we are to protect the world against the effects of climate change – how to reduce the impact of the extreme weather events we know we’re going to experience.  
Media interview in Cuba

A lot of media attention has rightly been given to the reduction of carbon emissions. But this is only half the story. There is another important part of the picture which is needed if we are to protect the world against the effects of climate change – how to reduce the impact of the extreme weather events we know we’re going to experience.  

A large amount of carbon emissions is already "baked in" meaning climate-change impacts are inevitable. But that doesn’t mean they have to be catastrophic. We know that early warning and early action can reduce vulnerability to disaster and enable quicker recovery.  

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.  

If we are realise the benefits of risk-informed, early action then we need to take this to scale – and quickly.  

This was the motivation behind the launch of REAP, which has seen more than 50 governments from developed and developing countries, international organisations, civil society actors and private sector representatives from across climate, humanitarian, development and meterological communities join forces to drive large-scale, long-term change.  

Our aim is to generate the political momentum and enabling environment needed to ensure relevant actors have the motivation, and resources necessary, to adopt risk informed early action approaches as default so that one billion more people 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 

Information for journalists 

We can provide you with access to REAP spokespeople, partners, case studies and data relating to early action and the many benefits it has to offer.