Returns on resilience: Investing in adaptation to drive prosperity, growth and competitiveness

The report presents the strongest evidence to date that adaptation is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic investment in sustainable growth. Despite the mounting evidence, capital still flows in the wrong direction. For every $1 spent on resilient infrastructure, $87 continues to go into assets that ignore climate and nature risks, leaving communities, businesses, and governments exposed.

The Returns on Resilience report finds that investments in adaptation deliver four times more benefits than costs, with an average annual return rate of 25%. Beyond avoided losses, resilience-building investments drive growth and competitiveness:

• Scaling interventions could create more than 280 million jobs by 2035.
• The adaptation and resilience market could reach up to $1.3 trillion annually by 2030.
• In some vulnerable economies, adaptation could increase GDP by up to 15% by 2050, while strengthening fiscal stability and reducing debt risk.