Supplementary written evidence submitted
by the Department for International Development
NOTE OF
UK PROGRESS ON
GLOBAL CLIMATE
CHANGE AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SINCE THE
IDC REPORT OF
2001-02: "GLOBAL CLIMATE
CHANGE AND
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT"1. The
UK has significantly scaled up its efforts on Sustainable Development
and Climate Change since the IDC report of 2002. The UK firmly
believes that supporting sustainable development and tackling
climate change is key to reducing poverty and meeting the MDGs.
THE EVIDENCE
OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
2. Conclusions (1)(2) and (3) are still
valid regarding the evidence of climate change. The effects of
climate change require a response at global, national and local
levels. Most countries already fail to manage their environmental
resources in a sustainable way. Climate change makes this an even
more urgent priority.
3. Global action is needed to help prevent dangerous
climate change, by reducing emissions and building low carbon
economies, and to help poor countries prepare for the impacts
of climate change by building resilience.
4. The UK agree with conclusions (8), (9),
(10) and (15) on the uneven global impact of climate change. Climate
change is dramatically reshaping the environment upon which poor
people depend. The knock-on effects from climate change include
increased rainfall variability (meaning more droughts and increased
flooding), reduced food security, spread of disease, increased
risk of accidents and damage to infrastructure. The poor are most
vulnerable to these changes and have limited capability to respond
to them
THE RESPONSE
TO CLIMATE
CHANGE—THE
NEED TO
TACKLE INCREASING
EMISSIONS
5. With regard to conclusion (31) climate
change has received increasing international attention since the
2002 IDC report. As part of the UK 2005 G8 presidency, Climate
change was a central theme along with Africa. Subsequently, the
G8 have systematically had climate change on its agenda.
6. In addition, the UK has played a pivotal role
in the design of the multi-donor, World Bank administered Climate
Investment Funds, or CIFs. The UK supported the World Bank and
worked with other donors to design and establish the Funds to
meet the objectives of providing co-ordinated short term finance
to tackle climate change and to pilot approaches to the long term.
The funds were approved by World Bank board in July 2008, endorsed
by the G8 at the Hakkaido summit, and now have $6.1 billion in
pledges from 10 donor countries.
7. We are also strong supporters to the
UNFCCC Adaptation fund. The fund is a new instrument which derives
its money form a 2% levy on the Clean Development Mechanism. The
UK is supporting the design and implementation of the Adaptation
Fund both as a Board Member and by providing start up funding.
We are working hard to get the fund up and running so it can receives
project proposals in 2009.
8. We agree with conclusions (6) and (30).
Developed countries need to take the lead and take on binding
commitments to reduce their emissions by 25-40% by 2020 compared
to 1990 levels. The more of mitigation developed countries commit
to, the less developing countries will need to undertake.
9. The UK acknowledges and accepts the principle
of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Work is underway in Whitehall on the developmentally optimal approach
to allocating the global emission reduction effort consistent
with "safe" climate change.
10. We also recognise that large industrialising
countries such as India and China—will become a major source
of emissions. For such countries to decouple economic growth from
greenhouse gas emissions they need to better understand their
options. The UK is therefore working to understand, identify and
support patterns of economic growth in our partner countries that
break this link between growth and rising emissions.
11. in partnership with others, the UK has
so far funded a number of low carbon growth studies in the larger
emitting Middle Income Countries (MICs) including China, India,
Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia and South Africa through multilaterals
and think tanks.
12. We have also helped support a number
of pan-regional studies (so called "mini-sterns") and
others through our network of country offices (eg Guyana). However
there remains a dearth of evidence which looks into the challenges
in Low Income Countries (LICs) with a primary focus on mitigating
future emissions. In addition, DFID is currently working to design
a Centre for Climate and Development—a multi million pound
arrangement for delivering a set of knowledge management, research
and tailored advisory services for developing countries. The centre
will support transformational policy making on adaptation and
low carbon development.
ENERGY CHOICES
AND ENERGY
EFFICIENCY
13. We agree with conclusion (25) that fossil
fuel is likely to increase in developing countries as they seek
to meet their energy demands. However the UK believes that it
remains the sovereign right of the country whether or not to choose
to exploit fossil fuel resources. The Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) has a crucial role to play, CDM projects occur across a
wide range of sectors with 64% of reductions coming from projects
involving renewable energy, fuel switching and energy efficiency
increase.
14. One of the UK Government's key objectives
is to bring about a step change in global investment in low carbon
technologies that will deliver a transition to a low carbon economy,
including through an effective carbon market. We are working through
the European Union, G8 and UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) processes to develop and support a number of bilateral
and multilateral initiatives for scaling up investment in low
carbon energy, particularly energy efficiency.
15. We support conclusion (26). DFID Mozambique
is supporting the Ministry of Energy to increase its analytical
capacity and policy development in the area of biofuels. This
support is for three years from 2008-11. It will be used to hire
a Technical Adviser to operate under the Ministry and to help
develop Mozambique's National Biofuels Strategy.
16. In parallel, DFID Mozambique has designed
a Biofuels Policy Paper aimed at participating in the policy dialogue
to encourage a pro-poor approach in policy design, in the regulatory
framework and in continuing monitoring and evaluation processes.
INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE
CHANGE NEGOTIATIONS
17. With regard to conclusion (32), the
UK believes that we will not get a good deal at Copenhagen unless
developing countries have a strong voice in the negotiations,
the UK has provided financial support (in the region of £550,000
since mid-2006) to help developing country negotiators and journalists
prepare for and engage in key UN meetings. We have also supported
developing country negotiators bilaterally and the Government
makes an annual contribution to the UNFCCC fund for Developing
Country Participation to enable developing country participants
to attend meetings.
18. DFID is also providing analytical support
to regional processes - e.g. through support for Lord Stern's
work on providing support for the African Union position. We are
translating policy positions into public campaigns across G8 and
selected vulnerable countries—in particular though support
to the Global Campaign for Climate Action (GCCA) through Oxfam,
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED),
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) etc.
19. The UK is playing a leadership role
internationally on climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in
2009—to agree to a credible, fair ambitious deal, which
puts an understanding of development and the needs of developing
countries at the heart of an international agreement.
DFID'S APPROACH
TO ENVIRONMENT
AND DEVELOPMENT
AND THE
RELATIVE PRIORITISATION
GIVEN TO
CLIMATE CHANGE
20. In line with conclusion (42) and (51),
the UK is working hard to support the mainstreaming of climate
issues into national and local priorities. In Tanzania, the UK
has worked with UNDP to help the Government better integrate environmental
management in its National Strategy for Growth and Poverty reduction.
Assistance included developing poverty environment indicators
as part of the Strategy's poverty monitoring system and budgeting
process, and work with key stakeholders in developing the strategy.
As a result, 14% of targets across key areas of the strategy relate
to environmental management, such as reducing land degradation,
water pollution and loss of biodiversity.
21. We do not agree with conclusions (34) and
(47) regarding the relative importance that DFID attributes to
climate change. DFID is playing its part in tackling climate change,
providing leadership at an international level on climate change
and pushing forward on important initiatives to help protect the
most vulnerable from the inevitable impacts of climate change
-both through the international fora through our bilateral work
at country level.
22. The UK has scaled up its efforts to
tackle climate change (34). DFID has set up a new Climate and
Environment Group in London and created eleven new climate posts
in country offices. This aims to boost our capacity in tackling
climate change in key countries and enhance the connection between
UK policy and country led activities. For example, in Ethiopia,
the new post will support the Ethiopian government assess the
implications of climate change in-country and support donor co-ordination
efforts. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has developed
a large overseas network of attaches working specifically on climate
and energy and appointed a UK Climate Security Envoy for Vulnerable
Countries.
23. On conclusion (4), the UK has made a
step change in bringing environmental and developmental perspectives
together. For example, DFID India has many Rural Livelihood, watershed
management, water and sanitation, forestry and carbon markets
programmes and projects with an environmental component. Some
of these are joint projects with DEFRA under the UK-India Sustainable
Development Dialogue.
24. The UK believes that sustainable development
and good environmental management are key to poverty reduction
and meeting the MDGs. We take a multidisciplinary approach to
sustainable development which we are integrating across all our
international work as suggested in conclusion (35).
ADAPTATION TO
CLIMATE CHANGE—THE
ROLE OF
DFID AND OTHER
DONORS
25. On conclusion (49), we believe that
the best way to address adaptation is for developing countries
to integrate "climate resilience" into their existing
process and plans. DFID is supporting this through the flagship
"Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience". This programme
will support a few developing countries to integrate climate risk
and resilience into their core development planning, and then
provide substantial programmatic resources to public and private
sector investments identified through the planning process. It
aims to demonstrate that a scaled up, country-led, mainstreamed
approach is possible and effective, influencing how a post 2012
deal will support developing countries adapt to climate change.
It will provide crucial lessons on how to invest in climate resilience
through national development planning.
26. DFID has a clear mandate on adaptation and
we are prioritising this element of our work (46). DFID's work
on adaptation focuses on the three things that vulnerable countries
need to adapt effectively: (1)finance; (2)knowledge, information
and tools and (3) capacity and incentives.
27. On conclusion (48), because the true
costs of adaptation are poorly understood, the UK is jointly funding
work with the{World Bank, the Netherlands and Switzerland on the
Economics of Adaptation. This study is looking at Bangladesh,
Vietnam, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana and Bolivia. Results are
due in the second half of 2009, and will be used to help inform
the UNFCCC negotiations in Copenhagen in December (50).
28. DFID is not waiting until research is
complete to support country level work on adaptation (14). By
the end of 2009, the £50 million Chars livelihood programme
in Bangladesh will have reduced vulnerability of half a million
poor people to climatic and economic shocks. Through raising homesteads
and providing assets to 50 000 women headed households, families
are protected against floods and their incomes and assets double
in value.
29. In line with recommendation (41), the
UK has delivered on its 2005 G8 commitment to develop a tool for
assessing climate risks to its development programmes. DFID has
conducted assessments of its programmes in Bangladesh, India,
China and Kenya. We are now sharing lessons from this process
with other donors and the multilateral development banks. We have{provided
consultancy and advice to help{develop the Climate for Development
in Africa (ClimDev) Programme,{to improve information on the impacts
of climate change across Africa.
MAINSTREAMING CLIMATE
CHANGE INTO
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL
STRATEGIES
30. With regard to progress on conclusion
(51), (52) and recommendation (53), the UK has financially supported
(by approximately £250k) regional dialogues on mainstreaming
climate change and scaling up responses to climate change in Latin
America and Asia, with participation of more than 40 countries
(43). These have also explored how low carbon investment and finance
could be advanced in developing countries, side by side with their
own development objectives, and with the support of the multilateral
development banks, and reporting back both to the UNFCCC and to
the G8 processes. The UK has also contributed resources to make
possible regional negotiators meetings in Latin America and in
Asia, as well as studies that evaluate the regional economics
of climate change in almost all of Latin America, as well as South
East Asia.
31. There has been considerable progress on recommendation
(38). DFID's approach to sustainable development in developing
countries is guided by the principles of the UK's Sustainable
Development Strategy which is relevant to both the UK's international
and domestic activities. In addition, DFID works directly with
DEFRA (and in India and China provides direct support) in the
development and delivery of the UKs Sustainable development dialogues.
These are a key mechanism for sharing experience and lessons learned
from the UK and developing innovative approaches to sustainable
development.
32. As suggested by recommendation (7),
DFID is assessing the potential impacts of climate change in key
sectors of the economy (eg agriculture, water and health). In
Kenya we are supporting a review which will look at cost options
for adaptation and mitigation, make policy recommendations and
increase government, private sector and civil society awareness
of the economic dimensions of climate change.
INTERNATIONAL PANEL
ON CLIMATE
CHANGE (IPCC)
commendations (36) and (37) that the IPCC needs
to focus more on adaptation issues and climate risk management
is recognised by the IPCC, however it is limited by its mandate.
It can review and assess what is already covered in scientific
and technical literature, since it does not commission or do research
itself.
32. However DFID is also working to design a
"Centre for Climate and Development" which will deliver
a suite of services (knowledge management, research and tailored
advice) to support developing country policy-making on adaptation
and low carbon development. DFID will contribute around £50
million over five years to support the services run by the Climate
Centre.
CLIMATIC DISASTERS
35. The UK recognises that global warming
is resulting in an increase in the frequency and severity of climatic
extremes, which increases the frequency of weather-related disasters
(5). DFID 2006 White Paper states that `Disaster Risk Reduction
is a crucial part of climate adaptation and particularly important
to vulnerable communities'. The UK is funding significant disaster
risk reduction programmes in countries susceptible to disasters.
36. In response to recommendations (13) and (19),
the UK is funding a variety of organisations which work at global,
regional and national levels to minimise the effects of natural
disasters. For example, we are one of the leading donors to the
UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, which co-ordinates
the international disaster risks reduction system, providing £1
million per year. We are also contributing £4.4m over three
years to the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction
which assists governments to incorporate disaster risk reduction
into their national planning.
"ENVIRONMENTAL
REFUGEES"
37. The UK supports the development of policies
to address refugee issues in a comprehensible manner (20). However,
we do not find the term "environmental refugee" helpful.
There are already high levels of migration within and between
developing countries, particularly in countries like Bangladesh
which are frequently hit by natural hazards. It is also important
to remember that migration is driven by a range of different factors
which could include environmental as well conflict related amongst
others.
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
38. The UK bilateral work goes beyond vulnerability
assessments (19). In countries such as Kenya, India, China and
Bangladesh we have undertaken climate risk assessments, which
integrates vulnerability, helping these countries define a list
of urgent adaptation priorities, to develop a more comprehensive
adaptation strategy and put in place institutions to oversee this.
39. For example, the UK helped Bangladesh develop
a 10 year Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (CCSAP) building
on the National Adaptation Programme for Action (NAPA). CCSAP
was launched at the climate change conference co-hosted by UK
on 10 September 2008 (52).
THE GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
(GEF)
40. In response to conclusions (28) and
(29). DFID continues to be the fourth largest contributor to the
GEF, having increased its contribution to £118 million in
GEF Third Replenishment (2002-06) and £140 million in the
Fourth Replenishment (2006-10), funded from the overall increase
in DFID's budget over the period. Under the Fourth Replenishment
(2006-10), the UK remains the fourth largest donor to the GEF
after the US, Japan and Germany respectively, contributing £140
million over 4 years of which one third goes to climate change.
The UK share of the total amount pledged by all countries is 6.92%.
41. DFID's contribution of £22 million to
the UN adaptation funds (£12 million to each of the Special
Climate Change and Least Developed Countries Funds) is also among
the leading contributions to date.
CLEAN DEVELOPMENT
MECHANISM (CDM)
42. In line with conclusion (25), the World
Bank estimates that in 2007 alone, the CDM has leveraged $33 billion
for investment in clean energy. To scale up carbon finance in
Africa. The UK is working with the private sector to establish
AfriCarbon - an initiative intended to work closely with local
project developers to get projects off the ground.
43. There are currently over 1200 registered
CDM projects with a further 4200 projects in the pipeline which
are projected to reduce over 2.9 GtCo2 of emissions by 2012.
44. On conclusion (27) as a project based
offset mechanism, the CDM does not deliver any additional emissions
reductions beyond rich country targets and it is difficult to
scale up. The UK government is working closely with partners to
develop proposals to scale up emissions reductions and carbon
finance flows past 2012.
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