With a lack of a concrete, unified plan, as well as governments quickly watering down their responsibilities in jointly mobilising the long overdue USD 100 billion goal , we are nowhere near making finance flows consistent with much needed climate-resilient developmeThis attests to the glaring truth that inasmuch as climate finance has always been integral to negotiations, it has done far from enough for developing nations \u2014 with calls from grassroots and vulnerable communities visibly falling on deaf ears\u00a0.<\/p>\n
As climate financing is rife with issues at the country level \u2014 more importantly in aligning national development strategies \u2014 achieving a just transition amid a crucial tipping point in history requires tackling with depth and urgency the challenges in governing, delivering, and monitoring<\/strong> effective<\/strong> climate finance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Los \u00faltimos meses nos han recordado una vez m\u00e1s que, efectivamente, estamos en una carrera contra el tiempo. Con el \u00faltimo informe del IPCC<\/a> que revela c\u00f3mo el mundo se dirige en todas las direcciones equivocadas posibles en su lucha de d\u00e9cadas contra el cambio clim\u00e1tico, puede parecer que toda esperanza est\u00e1 perdida y que s\u00f3lo nos queda esperar el inevitable final. Sin embargo, la mejor ciencia disponible dice lo contrario. Todav\u00eda hay esperanza, y no estaremos condenados a un futuro lleno de destrucci\u00f3n, si actuamos r\u00e1pido<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Eso hace que los gobiernos y las empresas mundiales, principales responsables del actual colapso clim\u00e1tico, tengan que tomar medidas dr\u00e1sticas y de gran calado durante los pr\u00f3ximos tres a\u00f1os<\/a>. Acciones que se aparten de la ruta de \u00abseguir como siempre\u00bb. Sin embargo, la creaci\u00f3n de una v\u00eda de desarrollo hacia un futuro justo y resistente al cambio clim\u00e1tico resulta ser una cuesti\u00f3n muy controvertida y tambi\u00e9n pol\u00edtica.<\/p>\n Los planes actuales y las promesas voluntarias no tienen un impacto significativo en la limitaci\u00f3n del calentamiento global a 1,5 grados cent\u00edgrados. Y a pesar de sus compromisos a gran escala en Glasgow el a\u00f1o pasado, naciones desarrolladas como Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido est\u00e1n liderando el impulso de nuevas infraestructuras de combustibles f\u00f3siles. El aumento del gasto en armamento frustra la ayuda crucial para lograr no solo la acci\u00f3n clim\u00e1tica y la resiliencia, sino tambi\u00e9n los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible (ODS).<\/p>\n La falta de un plan concreto y unificado, as\u00ed como el hecho de que los gobiernos diluyan r\u00e1pidamente sus responsabilidades a la hora de movilizar conjuntamente el objetivo de los 100.000 millones de d\u00f3lares, que deber\u00eda haberse alcanzado hace mucho tiempo, no permiten que los flujos de financiaci\u00f3n sean coherentes con el tan necesario desarrollo resiliente al clima,[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 lo que demuestra la evidente verdad de que, aunque la financiaci\u00f3n del clima siempre ha formado parte de las negociaciones, no ha sido suficiente para los pa\u00edses en desarrollo, y las peticiones de las comunidades de base y vulnerables han ca\u00eddo visiblemente en saco roto.<\/p>\n Dado que la financiaci\u00f3n del clima est\u00e1 plagada de problemas a nivel nacional -m\u00e1s a\u00fan en lo que se refiere a la alineaci\u00f3n de las estrategias nacionales de desarrollo-, para lograr una transici\u00f3n justa en medio de un punto de inflexi\u00f3n crucial en la historia es necesario abordar con profundidad y urgencia los desaf\u00edos en la gobernanza, la entrega y el monitoreo de la financiaci\u00f3n efectiva del clima.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n No a la AOD como financiaci\u00f3n clim\u00e1tica<\/strong><\/p>\n En la COP26 del a\u00f1o pasado se pidi\u00f3 a las Partes que aumentaran sus contribuciones en consonancia con el creciente impacto de la crisis clim\u00e1tica en los pa\u00edses en desarrollo. Mientras se espera que las conversaciones en curso dominen la COP27 este mes de noviembre, apenas se discute a nivel pol\u00edtico si la financiaci\u00f3n clim\u00e1tica nueva y adicional -la que se obtiene fuera de los flujos de ayuda oficial al desarrollo (AOD) existentes y adem\u00e1s del 0,7% de la renta nacional bruta (RNB) de los pa\u00edses donantes- est\u00e1 obteniendo resultados significativos.<\/p>\n A pesar de la fuerte vinculaci\u00f3n jur\u00eddica que hace hincapi\u00e9 en el reparto de la carga, es decir, en la responsabilidad de las naciones desarrolladas de asumir los costes de sus emisiones hist\u00f3ricas, el quid estar\u00eda en los t\u00e9rminos \u00abnuevo\u00bb y \u00abadicional\u00bb, ya que nunca se han definido adecuadamente ni se han establecido sus par\u00e1metros. El Acuerdo de Par\u00eds de 2015 confundi\u00f3 a\u00fan m\u00e1s esta noci\u00f3n de estar por encima de la ayuda al desarrollo actual al definirla [nueva y adicional] como \u00abuna progresi\u00f3n m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de los esfuerzos anteriores\u00bb[2]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n En una situaci\u00f3n confusa, los pa\u00edses donantes bilaterales tienen libertad para definir lo que es \u00abnuevo y adicional\u00bb en sus respectivas contribuciones. Casi todos los pa\u00edses desarrollados han incluido y notificado la financiaci\u00f3n para el clima en su AOD, estableciendo as\u00ed sus propios puntos de referencia.[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Esta falta de claridad da lugar a la confusi\u00f3n y a una mayor canibalizaci\u00f3n de la AOD, frenando el crecimiento y el progreso de la financiaci\u00f3n para el clima y comprometiendo al mismo tiempo la necesaria financiaci\u00f3n para el desarrollo.<\/p>\n En consecuencia, se difunden m\u00e1s pr\u00e9stamos bajo la apariencia de ayuda clim\u00e1tica a los pa\u00edses en desarrollo, en lugar de subvenciones directas y accesibles. Los donantes bilaterales no son ajenos a esta pr\u00e1ctica. Los pa\u00edses principales, como Jap\u00f3n y Francia, han proporcionado un escaso 14% y 10%<\/a> de su respectiva financiaci\u00f3n clim\u00e1tica en forma de subvenciones en 2016-2018, a pesar de contribuir m\u00e1s de lo que les corresponde. Lo mismo se ha observado en la financiaci\u00f3n multilateral, ya que los pr\u00e9stamos no concesionales constituyen la mayor parte de la ayuda clim\u00e1tica de los bancos multilaterales de desarrollo (BMD) en 2019, que asciende al 79%, es decir, 30 900 millones de d\u00f3lares.<\/p>\n Financing for adaptation continues to lag behind<\/strong><\/p>\n As major parts of Africa contend with an unprecedented drought<\/a> that poses to leave over 20 million people in extreme hunger and starvation, and amid other highly damaging catastrophes, calls for the urgent ramping up of adaptation finance have been growing. But patterns of current allocations do not bode well.<\/p>\n In 2019 alone, USD 20 billion went to adaptation projects \u2014 a far cry from the USD 50.8 billion provided to mitigation. With annual adaptation costs<\/a> expected to reach USD 140-300 billion in 2030 amid such a worrying level of financial support, actions made so far towards striking a balance between adaptation and mitigation ultimately fail to echo the language of the Paris Agreement. This is aggravated by a lack of understanding and unified mechanism on how adaptation efforts are to be interpreted in practice and reported subsequently.<\/p>\n Disclosing inflated margins in projects then becomes an open secret in development aid and practice, further overstating the amount donors spend on climate adaptation. Strikingly clear in World Bank\u2019s endeavours, a report<\/a> by CARE revealed that 86 per cent of the budget for the Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Project<\/a> in Nepal was listed as adaptation finance regardless of the initiative being unrelated to climate change. Hand in hand with such over-reporting are the series of non-concessional loans and other non-grant instruments that only seek to cripple the already limited capacities of least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS).<\/p>\n With development actors opting to resort to schemes that further displace debt-ridden nations[4]<\/sup><\/a> in a crisis that is the least of their doing, continued calls for enhanced global adaptation financing and private sector leveraging<\/a> will only be \u2014 yet again \u2014 met in vain should this injustice remain unaddressed.<\/p>\n Ambiguous mechanisms for transparency make way for disparate results<\/strong><\/p>\n Southern developing countries\u2019 trust in the current processes is vastly eroded by discrepancies in climate finance reporting. Coupled with this is a certain flexibility brought about by the continued lack of a common monitoring and evaluation system. An internationally agreed definition of climate finance is also yet to be settled, allowing space for a wide range of interpretations. In spite of this, assessments made by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) still mainly depend on what governments state in their national reports.<\/p>\n The Rio markers[5]<\/sup><\/a> set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a prime example of how such accounting mechanisms impose risks in presenting exaggerated numbers that fail to accurately exhibit what has been provided and mobilised to the global South. Particularly, Japan\u2019s OECD-based financial reporting method for projects that carry environmental themes has been found to be riddled with inconsistencies. Regardless of the extent to which each project truly addresses climate mitigation or adaptation as either a main or minor objective, no distinction is made as 100 per cent of the budget is reported as climate finance, mainly resulting in inflated figures.<\/p>\n This practice by Japan alone already contributes to the annual total for adaptation finance being 10 per cent lower than what developed-country donors disclosed to the OECD. Moreover, the UNFCCC has not signalled a compulsory reporting of net finance accounting for loan repayments, despite non-grant instruments\u2019 dominant influence in the climate finance arena. As a reporting standard has yet to be unanimously agreed upon, results from calculation methods like these inevitably find their way into official reports \u2014 a complete antithesis of what effective climate finance should be:\u00a0 transparent, accountable, and scaled up.<\/p>\n With the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) gearing towards monitoring developed nations\u2019 progress in fulfilling the USD 20 billion deficiency<\/a> in their joint climate pledge ahead of the November summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, we ought to see another huge disconnect between what has been achieved in numbers and how it translates into action and actual implementation.<\/p>\n No time to spare<\/strong><\/p>\n All these challenges make one thing clear: the path towards a just transition cannot be achieved without channelling effective climate finance.<\/p>\n These ambiguities and loopholes in the whole climate finance cycle serve as another stern reminder that world leaders and key development actors have done the bare minimum. If widespread injustices are not addressed and urgently called upon, we risk navigating a mechanism plagued by further irregularities that only serve the rich and the most powerful. Pledges and commitments that equate to nothing but a string of empty promises. If left as is, grassroots communities would, for the nth time, get the shorter end of the stick in a battle they are already losing.<\/p>\n It is only through integrating a financing infrastructure that takes into account the importance of development cooperation, human rights, and inclusive decision-making that we can ensure that climate aid and reparations become key drivers to peoples\u2019 empowerment. One that is predictable, adequate, and additional. One that seeks to create an enabling, participatory environment for all sectors of society. One that is<\/em> effective through and through.<\/p>\n Until climate action sets out to be truly<\/em> inclusive and reflective of the global South\u2019s crucial role in the climate change discourse, our steadfast call towards upholding effective climate finance through the development effectiveness principles shall persist. We will continue sounding the horn.<\/p>\n Indeed, there\u2019s no time to spare.#<\/p>\n [1]<\/sup><\/a> Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement puts emphasis on the need to make \u201cfinance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.\u201d<\/p>\n [2]<\/sup><\/a> As per Article 9.3 of the Paris Agreement<\/p>\n [3]<\/sup><\/a> The OECD DAC\u2019s criteria allows bilateral country providers to report climate finance as part of ODA if these are proven concessional, with a focus on people\u2019s welfare and development..<\/p>\n [4]<\/sup><\/a> Despite a debt moratorium imposed amid the Covid crisis, at least 62 developing countries spent more on debt service than on healthcare in 2020 \u2014 according to Eurodad<\/a>.<\/p>\n [5]<\/sup><\/a> The Rio markers for climate<\/a> are commonly used by OECD DAC member countries as indicators for each spearheaded development activity and whether it targets climate objectives. Three scores are utilised: Marker 0 for projects carrying no climate objectives; Marker 1 for projects instilling one climate objective among several other ones; Marker 2 for projects with the climate as a principal objective. Countries employ different practices for Marker 1, whereas the full budget is reported for Marker 2. The finance share allocated is then reported to the UNFCCC.<\/p>\n Featured photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With a lack of a concrete, unified plan, as well as governments quickly watering down their responsibilities in jointly mobilising the long overdue USD 100 billion goal , we are nowhere near making finance flows consistent with much needed climate-resilient developmeThis attests to the glaring truth that inasmuch as climate finance has always been integral […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":30047,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1283,1812,1308,3],"tags":[692,1145,55,823,54,416,701,711,669,705,706],"class_list":["post-30184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-civil-society-fr-es","category-comunicados-de-prensa","category-cooperation-efficace-pour-le-developpement-es","category-ultimas-noticias-y-novedades","tag-cooperacion-al-desarrollo-es","tag-cooperacion-eficaz","tag-csos-es","tag-desarrollo-eficaz","tag-development-cooperation-es","tag-development-effectiveness-es","tag-effective-development-cooperation-es","tag-ods","tag-osc-es","tag-sdgs-es","tag-sustainable-development-goals-es"],"yoast_head":"\n