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Begin New Search Topic Climate Finance Content Type Policy Brief

1. Unaccountable Accounting: The World Bank’s unreliable climate finance reporting

Author:
Jason Farr, James Morrissey, and Christian Donaldson
Publication Date:
10-2022
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Despite being the largest multilateral provider of climate finance, the World Bank supplies very little evidence to support its claims about the amount of climate finance it provides. Oxfam has attempted to recreate the Bank’s reported climate finance figures using public information for projects in the Bank’s FY2020. Oxfam found that the Bank’s current climate finance reporting processes are such that its claimed levels of climate finance cannot be independently verified and could be off by as much as $7bn, or 40%. Without better disclosure practices, the World Bank is asking us to take much on faith. Climate finance funding is too important for us to do that. The World Bank must be more transparent in its reporting so that it can be held to account.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, International Cooperation, World Bank, Climate Finance, and Banking
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Climate finance in Asia: Assessing the state of climate finance in one of the world’s most climate vulnerable regions

Author:
Christopher Roy
Publication Date:
11-2022
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Oxfam Publishing
Abstract:
Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate hazards including extreme temperatures, flooding, droughts, cyclones, and sea level rise. The most vulnerable communities need financial support to help adapt to the climate crisis – they cannot do so alone. Developed countries have promised $100 bn in climate finance to developing countries every year until 2025. This promise has not been met. Asian countries have outlined the support they require and delivering on these needs is integral to bringing climate justice to those most vulnerable to – yet least responsible for – the climate crisis. We find that the climate finance provided to Asia is woefully inadequate to support the necessary adaptation actions and vulnerable communities are suffering as a result.
Topic:
Climate Change, Environment, Finance, and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Asia

3. International Gas Outlook and Implications for Developing Tanzania’s Gas Projects

Author:
Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
Publication Date:
12-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:
This brief, reviews recent international gas developments, the outlook in this regard and implications for the development of proposed offshore gas projects in Tanzania. As the country aims to benefit from its gas discoveries by increasing its domestic gas use, it also outlines some of the trade-offs and considerations that need to be taken into account when negotiating the domestic gas allocation.
Topic:
International Political Economy and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Tanzania

4. Green Foreign Direct Investment In Developing Countries

Author:
Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
Publication Date:
10-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
Abstract:
The message is by now clear: our global economy must be fundamentally reoriented and redeployed in order to achieve the SDGs and the commitments of the Paris Climate Agreement. This requires action by all stakeholders, including non-financial and financial firms, debt and equity investors, government policymakers, and consumers. In terms of the amount of money required, it has been estimated that meeting the SDGs will require $5 to $7 trillion annually, with investment needs for developing countries amounting to roughly $3.3 to $4.5 trillion per year. While a big picture view of and strategic thinking regarding the entire economic ecosystem is necessary to generate such investments, this paper, produced in conjunction with the UN Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System, focuses on the actual and potential role of one type of financial flow—FDI—in achieving the transition to a low-carbon, just and sustainable world and, more specifically, FDI flows into developing countries.
Topic:
International Political Economy and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Global Focus

5. Starting the Dialogue on Climate Engineering Governance: A World Commission

Author:
Edward A. Parson
Publication Date:
08-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
Climate engineering can, if appropriately governed within a coherent overall climate change strategy, reduce risks beyond what mitigation and adaptation can achieve alone, and is probably essential to achieve the Paris Agreement temperature targets. Climate engineering also poses significant new risks, and needs expanded research and scrutiny in climate assessments.
Topic:
International Political Economy and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Global Focus

6. A Sustainable Ocean Economy, Innovation and Growth: A G20 Initiative

Author:
Andreas R Kraemer
Publication Date:
07-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
The Group of Twenty should initiate a global ocean governance process and call for dialogues, strategies and regional cooperation to ensure that investment and growth in ocean use become sustainable and reach their full potential. The ocean is the largest and most critical ecosystem on Earth, and potentially the largest provider of food, materials, energy and ecosystem services. However, past and current uses of the ocean continue to be unsustainable, with increasing demand contributing to the ocean’s decline. Better governance, appreciation of the economic value of the ocean and “blue economy” strategies can reduce conflicts among uses, ensure financial sustainability, ecosystem integrity and prosperity, and promote long-term national growth and employment in maritime industries.
Topic:
Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Global Focus

7. Can Canada Step into the Breach? Addressing Climate-related Financial Risk and Growing Green Finance

Author:
Céline Bak
Publication Date:
06-2017
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Centre for International Governance Innovation
Abstract:
There was no consensus on climate-related financial risk at the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting of central bankers and finance ministers in March 2017, and the final communiqué did not mention climate change or the Paris Agreement. US President Donald Trump has since announced his intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement; therefore, the phase I report from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Risk Disclosures may not be welcomed at the G20 summit in July. As a result, G20 finance ministers must assure governance of this agenda through interconnected national high-level expert groups. Canada’s financial institutions including asset owners and asset managers have the capacity to move swiftly to contribute to a platform for international collaboration on climate-related financial risk and green finance opportunities.
Topic:
Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8. Power Grid Interconnections in East Asia: Investment in Several Key Projects Are Well Justified

Author:
Yanfei Li
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)
Abstract:
The recent ERIA report on 'Effective Power Infrastructure Investment through Power Grid Interconnections in East Asia' aims to support existing initiatives--the ASEAN Power Grid and Greater Mekong Subregion Power Master Plan--by quantitatively showing the possible economic and environmental benefits of such power grid interconnections. The study team selected specific candidate routes of cross-border transmission lines for further examination. They carried out the preliminary project planning and per kilowatt-hour cost estimation for the selected cross-border lines. The estimated results indicate that although these are capital-intensive projects, attainable benefits seem to be large enough to justify the investment well.
Topic:
Economics, Climate Finance, and Business
Political Geography:
Southeast Asia

9. Alternative Waste Solutions for the Pacific Region: Learning from the Hawai’i Experience

Author:
Jordan P. Howell
Publication Date:
11-2015
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
East-West Center
Abstract:
With limited space and ever-growing trash, the islands of the Pacific share unique challenges managing their solid wastes. The traditional approach has been to collect waste in open dumps and landfills. But overwhelmed sites and unsanitary conditions are driving governments to seek alternative solutions. Hawai'i has implemented "resource recovery" systems in past decades to deal with waste, including an innovative energy-from-waste project on O'ahu, and a recycling/composting program on Maui that focuses on diverting material from landfills. While both have been successful in reducing waste and generating products, the programs have also endured unexpected delays and problems. Despite differences in scale and capacity, the Hawai'i experience offers insights for other Pacific islands into how to tackle their own solid waste management issues, and create systems and policies that deliver the greatest ecological and economic benefits.
Topic:
Climate Change, Economics, Energy Policy, Governance, and Climate Finance
Political Geography:
Hawaii and United States of America