4 Global Climate Change Alliance
| (28926)
13107/07
COM(07) 540
| Commission Communication: Building a Global Climate Change Alliance between the European Union and poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change
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| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 18 September 2007
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| Deposited in Parliament | 24 September 2007
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| Department | International Development
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 9 October 2007
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| Previous Committee Report | None; but see (24363) 7523/03: HC 63-xxiii (2002-03), para 12 (4 June 2003)
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| To be discussed in Council | 19-20 November 2007 GAERC
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested. Relevant to the debate on the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership
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Background
4.1 In introducing this Communication, the Commission says that
scientific data analysed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)[17]
provide the international
community with "three alarming conclusions: firstly, climate
change is happening; secondly, the recent acceleration in climate
change is the result of human activity leading to the emission
of greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere; and thirdly, most
regions in the world, and especially those in the developing world,
will be increasingly affected by climate change."
4.2 It says that the EU, as the largest provider
of Official Development Assistance (ODA), has taken a lead role
in international development efforts and in promoting international
action to tackle climate change. It recalls proposals put forward
at the March 2007 European Council "for a global and comprehensive
post-2012 climate change agreement to limit global warming to
2°C above pre-industrial levels, and committing to significant
cuts in the EU's GHG emissions, even in the absence of an international
agreement."[18]
Although the EU has, it says, already highlighted
the strong links between climate change and poverty in 2003,[19]
"the urgency and magnitude of the challenge
calls for a more collective initiative to match Europe's responsibility
and commitment in the fight against poverty".[20]
4.3 In particular, the Commission notes that "projections
of the effects of climate change show that the Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) will
be hit earliest and hardest. Moreover, these countries have the
fewest resources to prepare for these alterations, and to adapt
their way of life. Climate change is therefore likely to further
delay the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
in many of these countries."
The Commission Communication
4.4 This Commission Communication accordingly proposes
the creation of a Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) —
a joint initiative put forward by Directorates General for Development,
Environment and External Relations. The objective is "to
ensure that developing countries most vulnerable to climate change,
in particular the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island
Development States (SIDS), increase their capacity to adapt to
the effects of climate change, in support of the achievement of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)".
4.5 The Commission says that the initiative is intended
to add value to the EU Action Plan on Climate Change and Development
(2004-2008), which concentrated on raising awareness and developing
capacity across all developing countries. It is focused on the
most vulnerable poor countries, and includes concrete actions
aimed at raising their capacity to deal with climate change. The
initiative will provide a platform for dialogue and exchange among
EU and poor developing countries, and provide technical and financial
support for adaptation and mitigation measures, and for the integration
of climate change into development strategies. It would begin
in 2008.
4.6 The programme's five output areas are:
— adaptation
to climate change;
— reducing emissions from deforestation;
— enhancing participation in the Clean
Development Mechanism;[21]
— promoting disaster risk reduction; and
— integrating climate change into poverty
reduction efforts.
4.7 In a helpful Explanatory Memorandum of 9 October
2007, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for
International Development (Mr Gareth Thomas) describes the proposal
as "another bilateral (EU) attempt to deal with a collective
problem". He says that "there are already a large number
of other initiatives/international funds aimed at increasing adaptive
capacity", which include:
"the Special Climate Change Fund, the Least
Developed Countries Fund and the Adaptation Fund — all under
the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC); the Clean Energy Investment Frameworks being
developed by the Multilateral Development Banks; and the UK's
Environmental Transformation Fund-International Window. In addition,
there is work by DFID and the World Bank on the 'Global Forest
Alliance' looking at forests and the carbon market (i.e. two of
five of the GCCA's programme areas)."
4.8 He notes that "the Commission has stressed
that it does not see this initiative duplicating activity elsewhere,
as there are few operational financial initiatives or funds in
this field", and intends "to produce a working paper
fleshing out the practical details, with the aim of discussion
with stakeholders during the European Development Days, conclusions
at the November GAERC, and a link to the EU/Africa Summit".
4.9 On funding, he notes that the Commission has
identified €50 million (£34.8 million) from "the
Thematic Programme 'Environment and sustainable management of
natural resources' (a part of the Development Cooperation Instrument),
and, if approved, will request additional contributions from Member
States".
The Government's view
4.10 The Minister continues as follows:
"The GCCA initiative could usefully fill a gap
in terms of providing an opportunity for EC and Member State support
for climate-related capacity building. The initiative is consistent
with UK thinking, in that it identifies a need to (a) build capacity,
and (b) develop and test financing mechanisms.
"The main strengths of the proposal are that
it (a) combines alliance building with capacity building, and
(b) provides finance to help build capacity in anticipation of
the release of larger amounts of funding for adaptation (currently
being negotiated under the UNFCCC).
"There are already a large number of other initiatives/international
funds aimed at increasing adaptive capacity. It will be important
to ensure that the GCCA collaborates closely with these other
initiatives so as to add value (not just create a parallel funding
stream).
"Another risk, common to all thematic funds,
is that it could undermine the Paris Declaration commitments to
ownership and alignment of development actions. Thematic funds
are a draw on the time and human administrative resources of developing
countries. They are also potentially a development response which
is not demanded by recipient countries."
4.11 As to the funding aspects, the Minister says:
"We have not, nor would we want to commit to
provide funding until the designers of this initiative have better
demonstrated how it will coordinate with and add value to the
raft of other initiatives in this area."
Conclusions
4.12 The reasons for the Minister's caution are
clearly put and appropriate. The Commission is no doubt anxious
to produce an initiative that can be showcased as part of the
December 2007 EU-Africa Summit. But better right than rapid. There
is little point in pushing ahead with a half-baked proposal unless
it is properly funded — with clear commitments from Member
States — and can demonstrate convincingly that it will both
add value to other initiatives and add to, rather than overload,
recipients' capacity.
4.13 We would therefore not want the Minister
to agree to Council Conclusions endorsing the planned initiative,
and its associated expenditure, until he is able provide evidence
that the Commission has convincingly addressed all the issues
that he has identified. We should accordingly be grateful if he
would write to us again ahead of the November GAERC, with his
views on the proposal at that stage and outlining the draft Conclusions
then under consideration. Pending his reply we shall retain the
Communication under scrutiny.
4.14 We also consider the Communication relevant
to the debate on the EU's proposed new Strategic Partnership with
Africa, which is to be held in the European Standing Committee
on 23 October.
17 PCC. 4th Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Back
18
COM (2007) 2, Limiting Global Climate Change to 2°C: The
Way Ahead for 2020 and Beyond, 10.1.07, and European Council Conclusions
(7224/07), 9.3.07 Back
19
COM (2003) 85, Climate Change in the Context of Development Cooperation,
11.3.03, and Council Conclusions (15164/04), Climate change in
the Context of Development Cooperation, 24.11.04. See head note
for our predecessors' consideration of this Communication. Back
20
COM(07) 540, page 2. Back
21
The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under
the Kyoto Protocol allowing industrialised countries with a greenhouse gas
reduction commitment to invest in projects that reduce emissions
in developing countries as an alternative to more expensive emission
reductions in their own countries. For further details, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Development_Mechanism Back
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