Project Description:
This is a research project implemented jointly by the Finnish Environment Institute and the Asian Institute of Technology. The objective is to gain insights into i) how poverty reduction and climate policy objectives could be systematically integrated in the implementation of Finland’s relations with developing countries, ii) how the responsible organisations have learned to integrate poverty reduction and climate policy objectives in implementing Finland’s relations with developing countries, and iii) how such learning could be enhanced in the future. The purpose is to provide an analysis that supports the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA) in its efforts to integrate poverty reduction and climate policy objectives in the implementation of Finland’s relations with developing countries, particularly climate financing, other climate-relevant development cooperation and carbon trading. The study will also support the MFA in promoting integration of poverty reduction and climate policy objectives in relevant international forums.
As the whole range of climate and development policy instruments used and organisations involved in the implementation of Finland's relations with developing countries cannot be studied in-depth with the available resources, the following sample of instruments has been selected for the study:
- Climate financing and other climate-relevant development cooperation financed by the government of Finland through official bilateral and regional grants, concessional credits, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Global Environmental Facility (GEF),Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and Adaptation Fund (AF);
- Carbon trading through bilateral Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, and investments into the "Asia Pacific Carbon Fund" and "Future Carbon Fund" managed by ADB and the "Fine Carbon Fund" managed by GreenStream Network (GSN).
Case studies on selected illustrative interventions representing the various instruments, sectors and target countries are carried out in order to obtain context specific information on the results and challenges of integrating the development and climate policies in practice.
The focus and theoretical frame for the analysis of linking development policy and climate change in Finland's relations with developing countries is "policy learning".
More information:
Mr. Mikael Hildén, Director, Climate Change Programme, Finnish Environment Institute
Mr. Pekka J. Salminen, Project Manager, International Affairs Unit, Finnish Environment Institute