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Tracking Climate Finance: What and How?

Author

Listed:
  • Christa Clapp

    (OECD)

  • Jane Ellis

    (OECD)

  • Julia Benn

    (OECD)

  • Jan Corfee-Morlot

    (OECD)

Abstract

Developed countries have committed under the international negotiations to jointly mobilising USD 100 billion per year by 2020 for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. Yet consistent and comprehensive data to track this commitment are currently lacking. Such data will also help governments and the private sector understand how much and what type of climate finance is flowing today, so as to be able to evaluate progress and effectiveness of international climate finance flows. Estimates based on available data are highly uncertain and incomplete, highlighting several challenges in establishing a robust tracking system. A more political question is what should be the internationally agreed definition of “climate finance” or, absent agreement on that, what types of flows or activities might count towards the USD 100 billion? On the more technical side, challenges include clearly defining flows and sources of international climate finance, determining the cause and effect of flows, and establishing the boundaries of finance flowing towards climate change action. This paper considers what data are currently available to track climate finance, and demonstrates the complex nature of financial flows through examples across international and domestic as well as public and private flows. The examples highlight questions on how to count and track climate finance. Les pays développés se sont engagés dans le cadre de négociations internationales à mobiliser ensemble 100 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2020 au service de l’atténuation du changement climatique et de l’adaptation à ses effets dans les pays en développement. Cependant, des données cohérentes et détaillées permettant de suivre l’application de cet engagement font aujourd’hui défaut. Ces informations aideraient aussi les pouvoirs publics et le secteur privé à connaître le volume et la nature des financements actuellement consacrés au domaine du climat, ce qui leur permettrait d’évaluer les progrès et l’efficacité des flux internationaux de financement climatique. Les estimations établies à partir des données disponibles sont très incertaines et incomplètes, d’où il ressort plusieurs problèmes auxquels se heurte la mise en place d’un solide système de suivi. Une question de caractère plus politique est celle de savoir en quels termes il convient de définir d’un commun accord à l’échelon international le « financement climatique » ou, à défaut d’accord sur cette définition, quels types de flux ou d’activités pourraient entrer en ligne de compte dans ces 100 milliards de dollars. Sous un angle plus technique, la difficulté consiste notamment à définir précisément les flux et les sources de financement climatique international, à mettre en évidence les causes et les effets des flux, ainsi qu’à déterminer les limites du financement de l’action pour le climat. Ce rapport examine quelles données sont aujourd’hui disponibles pour assurer un suivi du financement climatique, et fait apparaître la complexité des flux financiers au travers d’exemples de flux internationaux et intérieurs, ainsi que publics et privés. Ces exemples mettent en relief les questions que soulèvent les modalités de comptabilité et de suivi du financement climatique.

Suggested Citation

  • Christa Clapp & Jane Ellis & Julia Benn & Jan Corfee-Morlot, 2012. "Tracking Climate Finance: What and How?," OECD/IEA Climate Change Expert Group Papers 2012/1, OECD Publishing.
  • Handle: RePEc:oec:envaab:2012/1-en
    DOI: 10.1787/5k44xwtk9tvk-en
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    Cited by:

    1. repec:nam:befdwp:9 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Agbemabiese, Lawrence & Nyangon, Joseph & Lee, Jae-Seung & Byrne, John, 2018. "Enhancing Climate Finance Readiness: A Review of Selected Investment Frameworks as Tools of Multilevel Governance," MPRA Paper 91488, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Elmar Kriegler & Jae Edmonds & Stéphane Hallegatte & Kristie Ebi & Tom Kram & Keywan Riahi & Harald Winkler & Detlef Vuuren, 2014. "A new scenario framework for climate change research: the concept of shared climate policy assumptions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 122(3), pages 401-414, February.
    4. Emilie Bécault & Axel Marx, 2015. "International Climate Finance to developing countries. Taking stock of the variety of bilateral, private and hybrid financing initiatives," BeFinD Working Papers 0109, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    5. Kissinger, Gabrielle & Gupta, Aarti & Mulder, Ivo & Unterstell, Natalie, 2019. "Climate financing needs in the land sector under the Paris Agreement: An assessment of developing country perspectives," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 256-269.
    6. Kris Bachus, 2015. "Official climate-related development finance in Belgium: Concepts and methodologies," BeFinD Working Papers 0104, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    7. repec:nam:befdwp:4 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

    adaptation; adaptation; atténuation des émissions de gaz à effet de serre; changement climatique; climate change; finance; financement; greenhouse gas mitigation; investissement; investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F30 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - General
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations
    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • H87 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - International Fiscal Issues; International Public Goods
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth

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