Tag Archives: climate change
A Conference Carol
What does this difficult time for global cooperation mean for the future of the climate negotiations? We genuinely cannot say. In the spirit of the season, however, let the ghosts of climate change conferences past, present, and yet to come show us glimpses of what was, what is, and what could be. Continue reading
A Conference Carol – III
The disenchantment with unfair globalisation should be a wakeup call for those who think justice and ethics have nothing to do with global climate negotiations. Any global treaty or process that imposes an unfair burden will eventually be rejected. The “citizens of the world” may not have a vote through which to express their anger, but they will express themselves nevertheless, by rejecting the unfair. Continue reading
A Conference Carol – II
Some climate experts have tried to soften the blow of Trump’s election by saying the transition to renewable energy is “unstoppable”. This is misleading and dangerous, playing down the importance of US participation in the international regime. Continue reading
Scaling up adaptation 5: Microfinance sparked by “social energy”
Microfinance is perhaps “the” success story for scaling up development interventions. While it should continue to be a critical tool in providing climate finance to the poor and reducing their vulnerability to climate impacts, its early history also has lessons to offer for scaling up adaptation. Continue reading
Scaling up adaptation 1: What does it mean?
The need to rapidly “scale up” successful climate change adaptation projects, programmes and policies is widely recognised, but there are currently few adaptation-specific examples to demonstrate how such scaling up can take place, or what elements are necessary for such … Continue reading
Consolidation for devolution: Balancing top-down and bottom-up elements of climate finance governance in India
Consolidating national and international climate finance in a national fund in India could help ensure common principles; coherence with national strategies; distributive justice; prioritisation of the needs of the most vulnerable; and flexibility through a continuous review process. However, such consolidation must come with a strong commitment to devolution. Continue reading
Five important national considerations that must trump GCF readiness
With pledges exceeding US$10 billion,the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is open for business, and expected to start disbursing funds over the next few months. This is a good time, therefore, to remind policy makers in developing countries that GCF requirements are only one part of the picture – there are far more important national considerations that should be taken into account first, before deciding where the GCF arrangements will fit in. Continue reading
Vulnerable India 8: Weather advisories need a human interface, and crop insurance needs a makeover
Both need stronger partnerships with non-government actors The plight of India’s poor farmers is poignantly highlighted by the suicides that continue to take place each year. Over 300,000 farmers have taken their lives since 1995 due to a combination of … Continue reading
Climate change and the Post-2015 goals: Passing ships or all in the same boat?
CBDR was viewed as a dilution of the more straight-forward polluter pays principle, where the concepts of responsibility and liability are better defined. Two decades later, developing countries feel that even this diluted version of the polluter pays principle is threatened. Developed countries would like to replace CBDR with “applicable to all” in the climate negotiations, and “universally applicable” in the post-2015 negotiations, to reflect the “changing world order”. Continue reading
Vulnerable India 6: Decentralisation and its discontents
One of the most critical elements for successful adaptation by poor and vulnerable communities – if not the most critical element – will be their ability to identify local climate-related threats and respond quickly where response is possible, with locally … Continue reading
It must be said! 