Governance

Lack of resources, weak institutions, bad governance and inadequate infrastructure leave the poorest populations of the world face the concentrated challenge of tackling the worst of the impacts of climate change with the least capacity to do so. But development, if sustainable, can reduce that vulnerability. Clearly, adaptation to climate impacts must be seamlessly integrated into any development planning and policy.

It is therefore important to focuses first on national capacity to ensure that development in all sectors and at all levels is effectively climate-proofed. Economic development strategies can increase dependency on climate-sensitive resources; or there can be a mismatch between donors’ adaptation activities and the development priorities of recipient countries. Development and adaptation thus need to be considered in tandem. Otherwise development will result in maladaptation – an unintended increase in vulnerability.

Mainstreaming climate issues into the broader development process is vital because these issues are closely linked as clearly highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings for the global development targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol have both stated that substantial funding should flow from those with the “capability” to cope with and manage climate change to those without. Agreeing to that principle was the easy part; a global pact, however, must address a series of crucial questions. How much funding is needed for adaptation and how do we know and estimate these costs, both for the near and longer term? Who should pay for adaptation and how much should each country pay? How can international funds for adaptation be fairly distributed and effectively put to use?

Energy policies to limit emissions should be sensitive to specific patterns of energy consumption that vary across households and individuals in terms of income, urban vs. rural locations, gender and age. For instance, approaches to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation are gaining support as a potentially effective and efficient mitigation strategy but challenges remain to ensure that such strategies are equitable, especially the need to protect the rights and livelihoods of forest-dependent populations.

Climate change has a more prominent role in governmental programmes than ever before, and it is no longer delegated to just one minister, one ministry or a few institutions. It has become a matter for prime ministers, whole cabinets and entire administrations.

Local experiences of extreme weather events combined with concrete local mitigation efforts have made it obvious that climate change mitigation and adaptation are matters for multi-level governance. A wide range of organisations – multinational corporations, business groups, environmental NGOs, scientific research organisations and sub-national governmental bodies – are crucial to developing a societal response. The business community, in particular, needs policy frameworks that create a positive environment for investment and change.

Dealing with these challenges requires the increased participation of and consideration of all social groups in policy design and implementation.  Linking climate change with broader sustainable consumption and production concerns, human rights issues and democratic values is crucial for shifting societies towards more sustainable development pathways.