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Over the past eight years, research on funding for locally led climate action has found that support truly driven by local communities is virtually nonexistent. Just 0.17% of all funding, and only 29% even mentions work at the local level. Despite over 100 governments and organizations endorsing the principles for locally led adaptation, most climate projects still treat communities as beneficiaries rather than decision makers. Weak reporting systems make it nearly impossible to track whether money actually reaches those on the ground, masking huge gaps in accountability. The study calls for far more transparent reporting and funding structures that put local actors in charge of the climate responses that most directly affect their lives.