Achieving scale and sustainability: an action plan for implementing Locally Led Adaptation

Summary

In September 2025, over 50 key stakeholders from across the world met to develop a bold action plan on locally led adaptation (LLA) to climate change and deliver it through collective and institutional action.

The meeting was convened by Wilton Park and UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, in collaboration with International Institute for Environment and Development, World Bank, and World Resources Institute. 

Participants included civil society organisations, national government representatives, multi-lateral and bilateral partners, philanthropic and direct-action organisations, and knowledge partners.

Over two days of highly interactive discussions participants aligned on a shared vision and mission for the future of LLA, developed an action plan, and identified next steps for engagement.

This effort builds on efforts by a wide range of stakeholders to translate Principles for LLA into action.

Outcomes of the meeting

Participants used an iterative process to co-create a shared vision and mission, which may help to inform future work on LLA.

VISION: Locally led approaches to climate action will be a core component of building inclusive, integrated adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change. 

MISSION: We will champion resilient systems that are driven by local aspirations and priorities, inclusive of indigenous peoples[1], that reinforce good practices and support national policies. We commit to promote, scale, and accelerate the efforts.

ACTIONS: Participants co-created a roadmap for action. During initial discussions five key areas emerged as critical components of an action agenda for LLA: addressing the inaccessibility of finance, strengthening communications and advocacy, packaging and generating evidence, increasing institutional support for LLA, and building government leadership.

Through participatory processes and dialogue over several sessions, participants noted a significant number of actions to take under each area. Each participant indicated which they viewed as the most critical actions to take forward as individuals and a group.

The top five actions that participants highlighted as significant were:

1. Finance – Identify and/or develop models for implementing LLA approaches at scale, building on what works at different scales.
2. Institutions – Build on existing systems and processes to strengthen institutions that integrate and support LLA approaches.
3. Communication – Create an advocacy strategy and toolkit to make a coordinated case for LLA.
4. Evidence – Support storytelling by local communities on LLA successes and build links between LLA champions and existing evidence.
5. Evidence – Highlight what is working, identify missing sectors and geographies, and find additional champions.

Next steps for engagement

The following list of events are opportunities to build stronger alliances and forms of collaboration to strengthen actions on LLA.

1. Global Community of Practice on LLA – 600 members – sharing and learning via periodic meetings. To sign up send an email to: locallyledadaptation@iied.org
2. COP30 – LLA is included a key initiative in the adaptation finance action agenda – case studies are being collected, if you are interested in submitting please email: locallyledadaptation@iied.org. There is also an event on LLA in the Action Arena.
3. Outside of COP – a Global South House – full of inclusive, accessible events
   Latin America and Caribbean based convening on LLA in early 2026 – focused on philanthropies.
4. 20^th International Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) Conference in Asia, in May 2026.

Join the action on LLA

During the meeting, participants agreed on specific actions they would take to support LLA and stated their intent to collaborate and coordinate efforts. Participants warmly welcome readers of this report and other stakeholders who were not present at the Wilton Park meeting to engage meaningfully with this growing LLA community, to identify and take actions in support of LLA, and to share progress and lessons learned.

ACRONYMS

• CSO     Civil Society Organisation
• MDB    Multilateral Development Bank
• LLA       Locally Led Adaptation

Terms explained

Stakeholder group – this term is used to reflect the distinct categories of the participants present at the meeting: civil society organisations, national government representatives, multi-lateral and bilateral partners, philanthropic and direct-action organisations, and knowledge partners. The term ‘knowledge partners’ refers to think tanks, policy institutes and research centres.

[1]  There was a constructive discussion around whether the mission statement should refer to ‘Indigenous peoples’. While all participants agreed on the importance of inclusion of indigenous people, the specific terminology proved contentious, and further dialogue will be needed to reach consensus.