A high level international commission of world and political leaders is trying to rebuild the momentum towards battling climate change, momentum that was destroyed by Donald Trump pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Deal.

The Global Commission on Adaptation is led by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva.  It involves 17 countries including China, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada, and the UK.

"We were very much united until December 2015 in Paris," said Mr. Ban in an interview with the Guardian newspaper.  "Now unfortunately the level of solidarity is being loosened, especially by the Trump administration.  Even though it is just one country, it has caused big political damage."

Instead of denying global warming and its man-made causes, the group is concentrating on filling a hole in current research and advocacy:  Finding and funding ways to protect people from the heatwaves, storms, and floods being supercharged by climate change.

"Continued economic growth and reductions in global poverty are possible despite these daunting challenges - but only if societies invest much more in adaptation," said Ban.  "The costs of adapting are less than the cost of doing business as usual and the benefits are many times larger."

"If everyone does their part, we can reduce carbon emissions, increase access to affordable energy, and help farmers everywhere grow more productive crops," said Mr. Gates.

"Our climate has already changed.  Dramatic weather events and volatile seasons are the new normal," said Georgieva.  "We face a choice: business as usual and hope for the best.  Or we act now and build for a resilient future."