The database can be accessed through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change website.

It features more than 100 examples from companies, such as Coca-Cola and Levi's, which share details of their business friendly adaptation practices and how they are using their resources more efficiently.

"By showcasing private sector adaptation success stories, we intend to help both communities and businesses become more climate-resilient and to put the benefits and business sense of adaptation firmly on the agenda of the private sector,"

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said.

Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, she said climate risks which affect communities around the world are "always also business risks".

The database will show examples of best practices, including efforts to make drinking water clean and safe in developing countries and efforts to improve the yield of

coffee beans in regions that are particularly vulnerable to climate change.

Figueres underscored the importance of businesses and governments implementing measures to prepare for natural disasters such as massive floods, as these have a huge impact on the operation of local and global businesses.

"The initiatives detailed in the database both show how the private sector can secure early advantages by adapting without waiting for absolute policy certainty at the international level, and how governments and the private sector can work together to respond to climate change now.

Public-private partnerships and cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders is becoming increasingly important to ensure successful implementation," Figueres said.

The database is part of a wider effort by UNFCCC following the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, to prioritise adaptation efforts as well as mitigation of natural disasters.