Delivering Money Where it Matters: effective climate action through predictable local climate finance
On 13 November, IIED with NGO partner Both ENDS held an official side event on devolved climate finance at COP23. Here's what happened, with some key messages and photos:
- IIED worked with Both ENDS to put on an official side event at COP23. The panel comprised of leaders from the county, state, national and international level talked about the challenges and mechanisms in facilitating climate finance to community level.
- Kicking off the IIED and @both_ends #COP23 side event now. Minister from the Gambia giving the intro now. pic.twitter.com/OCy3D8vKhT
- The panel started with an opening from the event chair, Minister Lamin Dibba of the Gambia.
- Minister Gambia calls for getting climate finance to front lines in LDCs. And support for building the capacity for local govts to work with communities. #cop23 #LDCs #MoneyWhereItMatters #IIED #AdaConsortium pic.twitter.com/CCCHou89U2
- @both_ends Less than 10% of climate finance reaches the local leve & we need to get climate finance flowing.The good news is that funds are available, but we need to know how to access them & to prioritise the people in the communities. #COP23
- we need to communicate the difference #ClimateFinance can make to communities when its delivered effectively to the front lines & demonstrate that to sceptics & cynics - Minister Dibba (Gambia) opening remarks #Moneywhereitmatters side event #COP23
- @both_ends We will hear from sub-national govts from the north & south to hear how they facilitate climate finance & respond to the priorities of the communities. #COP23
- @both_ends What can work for Senegal, for example, doesn't work for the Gambia, but we have to learn how to adapt what works from a local, cultural perspective. #COP23
- The keynote speech titled Shaping Climate Finance to Leave No One Behind was delivered by Eva Svedling, State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sweden.
- Swedish State Secretary Eva Svedling notes that adaptation is underfunded and challenge to reach the poorest communities. National action important to protect communities but meaningful action requires local knowledge to enable effective investments #MoneyWhereItMatters #COP23 pic.twitter.com/SaUo461ktr
- .@SwedenUN @COP23 supporting local #climatefinance which must strengthen women's voices @IIED #decentralise pic.twitter.com/8cqCYW69Ax
- @adaconsortium Sweden gave 3.8billion Swedish Kronor in climate finance - 50% was aimed at adaptation. #COP23
- Svedling: Sweden itself is highly decentralised and had experience in making adaptation work in its own country and funds @adaconsortium in Kenya. #COP23 pic.twitter.com/AZTtWfk3aF
- @adaconsortium Local ownership increases where the local budget is managed by the people, as we've seen in Kenya. #COP23
- The first panel contribution came from Lucy Ssendi of President's Office for Regional Administration and Local Government, Tanzania.
- The impact of climate change i.e drought is being felt at local level by women,youth and vulnerable communities.Climate finance therefore should go down to local level as a point of departure.@IIED @clareshakya @adaconsortium
- Tanzania would like a decentralized mechanism to channel climate funds directly into local communities #COP23 @COP23 @clareshakya @crawhall7 @IIED @ecioxford @SaleemulHuq pic.twitter.com/bdxXr08uRc
- Next on the panel, State Senator Bob Wieckowski of California brought a distinctly Californian flavour and message.
- Next up at @IIED side event on local climate action & #climatefinance is State Senator Bob Wieckowski from #California. Despite Trump, state is committed to #climateaction - working on mitigation but also to help poor communities cope with impacts.
- @BobWieckowskiCA laying out how California is supporting local access to finance for low-carbon energy @IIED #COP23 - glad to see action from the bottom-up even if @WhiteHouse blocks. @SenatorTester @jontester : many ideas for #Montana ?
- @BobWieckowskiCA talking about how California targets disadvantaged communities in areas of climate need. #cop23 pic.twitter.com/CRnCFZG4d5
- State Senator now saying that #California will look at global action to support resilience of communities struggling with climate impacts through subnational govts in badly affected, vulnerable countries https://twitter.com/clareshakya/status/930106781635940352 …
- CA senator wieckowski proposes fiscal adaptation support from subnationals to local peoples around the world #solidarityAdaptation #UNAdaptationFund #LDCF #directFiscalSupport @COP23 @IIED #climate Finance
- @BobWieckowskiCA California is not here just to talk about what we do, but we're here to learn as well. Want to help our disadvantaged communities to come up with their own adaptation tactics. #COP23
- Francesco Pigliaru, President of Sardinia, brought the perspective of both the EU and that of a northern island state.
- Now hearing from @F_Pigliaru from Sardinia. He reminds us that it's an island in the middle of the Med, and is a bridge between the shores of the sea. #COP23 pic.twitter.com/D7M4RLEuGC
- @F_Pigliaru Pigliaru: 20% of EU budget will be on climate action by 2020 & EU investment bank will fund climate action - but how can we spend it & create a situation where it reaches everyone? #COP23
- President of Sardinia explaining how the network of regions in Europe lobby for recognition that 70% climate action is at the local level. Money not main problem in EU - 20% of EU budget climate finance. Challenge 2 reach vulnerable communities & get #MoneyWhereItMatters @COP23 pic.twitter.com/HXTt2vKaY1
- @F_Pigliaru Importance of cross-border cooperation: Sardinia has a 200million euros project funded by the EU which involves several countries across the region. #COP23
- @F_Pigliaru Very glad of the opportunity to learn from other regions and countries from the Global North & South to see how they adapt. #COP23
- Next, we heard from Peter Odhengo, The National Treasury, The Government of Kenya who was happy to be the only representative of a national government on the panel.
- Odhengo: in Kenya, climate action comes at the county & sub-county level. But we need a fund to deliver these actions at scale. #cop23 pic.twitter.com/BwO5SUliQb
- Peter Odhengo from Kenya Treasury speaks to challenge of getting climate finance to frontline, and providing enabling environment for action by Counties - need to bring private investment to the county too. Kenya set up climate fund & access @GCF_News #MoneyWhereItMatters @COP23 pic.twitter.com/WjONHKoHYh
- We at the National level cannot pretend to be at the grassroots which is why we have the inter-ministerial technical committee while also capacity building other local stakeholders to effectively use and report the funds @odhengo #COP23 @ForumNorway @ayicckenya @IIED
- 'Clear strategic action plans and policy actions needed for the flow of money to be effective,' @odhengo #COP23 @ForumNorway @ayicckenya
- @odhengo Kenya has a practical example on how to get money to the grassroots @IIED #COP23 @ForumNorway @ayicckenya
- The second representative from Kenya was the Governor of Makueni, Professor Kivutha Kibwana, who talked about the actors involved in and the impacts of the devolved climate finance mechanism.
- From the county-level in Kenya, @governorkibwana is explaining how they worked with IIED @adaconsortium & others on devolved climate finance #COP23 pic.twitter.com/1b91L3WffQ
- #Makueni county has managed to allocate 1% of its development budget to climate change. One of the counties that Sweden is funding under the county climate change fund mechanism @governorkibwana https://twitter.com/IIED/status/930103959368486914 …
- Governor Kibwana of Makueni in #Kenya - explains that they created a local legal instrument before Kenya had a national one for #ClimateAction. Dedicating 1% of their own state budget to tackle climate change. + mandating all ministries to tackle local impacts of climate change
- Governor Kibwana of Kenyan county Makueni describes the act that formally gives communities voice in deciding investment with 1% of budget pic.twitter.com/idX5QurnJc
- Makueni county working with @ICRAF and other stakeholders to be able to access GCF @governorkibwana @IIED #COP23 @ayicckenya @ForumNorway
- Timely and relevant climate information is used by the adaptation committees in the identification of investments to ensure that they take into account current and future climate variability and hazards @IIED @KenyaGovernors @COP23 @clareshakya
- @governorkibwana @adaconsortium Made sure that communities, wards were involved - a rainbow alliance. #COP23
- @governorkibwana @adaconsortium As a county, we're working with other actors to access the #GCF - not an easy process for subnational govts. #Cop23
- @adaconsortium @IIED talking about decentralised climate finance @COP23 Kenya and Tanzania show the way pic.twitter.com/39NKRSNjBf
- The final panel contribution came from William Kostka, Director of the Micronesia Conservation Trust, who suggested that his remit was slightly different since his organisation provides funds to several island states.
- William Kostka of Micronesia Conservation Trust: we actually cover 3 countries! #COP23 pic.twitter.com/L7epjy7YCm
- @adaptationfund In Micronesia, we are looking to learn from other countries and want to connect with funders across the #COP23.
- William Kostka, dir. of Micronesia Conservation Trust, the small grant fund with an accreditation at the #GreenClimateFund, says that 'it's only easy to spend money if you don't care how it's spent and if it's effective'. This small grant fund knows very well where money matters! pic.twitter.com/At4PSoeTyo
- After hearing from the panel about all the diverse approaches to climate finance from across the globe, there was an opportunity for comments and questions from the room.
- @adaptationfund Questions from the room now. First from a colleague from the American University. Is adaptation planning at the local level difficult to get acceptance? How do you explain the projects to get local acceptance? #COP23
- @adaptationfund Need to have climate issues in the curriculum from all levels - from kindergarten up to university. Embed the ideas. #COP23
- @adaptationfund Question: In Tanzania & Kenya, how exactly have you changed your climate adaptation plans to respond to droughts in your areas? #COP23
- @adaptationfund Answer from Ssendi: we've advocated & up-scaled climate smart technologies. #cop23
- @adaptationfund @BobWieckowskiCA Answer from @F_Pigliaru - technology is good, but needs a lot of specific knowledge. Need to transfer the knowledge & money where it is effective. #COP23
- @adaptationfund @BobWieckowskiCA @F_Pigliaru Odhengo: Adaptation is my priority. We cannot wait for the business case to finance adaptation. We have to do it now. #COP23
- @GovernorNanok Council of governors take climate change as a priority agenda to ensure that it is mainstreamed into the County Integrated Development Plans @KenyaGovernors @IIED #COP23 @muminabonaya @clareshakya
- Mumina Bonaya of @adaconsortium contribution talked about how they facilitated devolved climate finance in practice. pic.twitter.com/5GHYNfYE5H
- Closing remarks were given by Pa Ousman Jarju, Director of Country Programming at the Green Climate Fund.
- Pa Ousmane says @gcf looking to get funds to local level through enhanced direct access & improving systems 2get #moneywhereitmatters @COP23 pic.twitter.com/Sj0ZlxHe7j
- @envoyjarju is reassuring everyone in the room that there are funds available and the #GCF wants to disperse them! pic.twitter.com/vkUFXwg3QF
- Final words from @envoyjarju #GCF: as of now, we have accredited 59 entities - so we are improving on the process of reaching you.
- Colleagues in the room and following along online shared their feedback at the end of an important discussion on climate finance.
- Still psyched thanks to @clareshakya @COP23 session - Delivering Money Where It Matters: Effective climate action through predictable local climate finance - linked African-US sub-national #climateleaders "We are with our US brothers in fighting #climatechange" @BobWieckowskiCA pic.twitter.com/0NaToSCISA
- Enjoyed participating on panel with reps from several nations today. @IIED @both_ends. #CAatCOP23 #COP23 pic.twitter.com/dErGWRik46
- For further reading on devolved climate finance, download: Going local: fast tracking climate finance to the most vulnerable
- Sign up for IIED's newsletter: iied.org/sign-up
