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CONCORD viewpoint, activities and position documents

Working papers

Working paper of the CONCORD Task Force on Climate Change: IMPLEMENTATION OF EU FAST START ADAPTATION FINANCE - February 2010

In the run-up to the UNFCCC Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 6-8 December this year, the Climate Change group of CONCORD has elaborated a position paper on the link between climate change and development.
This Position Paper "Climate change and Development, Towards Copenhagen" forms the baseline for advocacy and capacity-building within and outside the Confederation.

See the leaflet version with the key policy recommendations to the EU

Climate change affects multiple policy areas

A cornerstone of European policy must be to create synergies and mainsteaming of issues around climate change into all policy areas. It is essential that the EU through allocation of resources, finances and policy procedures ensure that there is policy coherence. This can be achieved by promoting synergies between adaptation and sustainable development. Adaptation to climate change must be linked to critical policy issues such as sustainable land use, biodiversity conservation, and water management. Similarly there are linkages between climate change adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction. Reducing vulnerability to changing climatic conditions through disaster risk reduction can help to build adaptive capacity, now and in the future.

Therefore, the European Union:

• Should reaffirm its commitments to reduce its gaz emissions and propose even deeper cuts to emissions. This, combined with clear and defined targets would send the right signal - that developed countries must take a lead in cutting carbon dioxide emissions to support the larger developing countries to also take on mitigation targets.
• Recognise adaptation as a critical social, economic and ecological imperative in discussions between developed and developing countries. Wealthy and highly industrialised countries that are mainly responsible for climate change are better able to adapt while the most severe consequences will be felt in poorer and more vulnerable countries. It is therefore a fundamental matter of social justice that adaptation is recognised as a top-line issue in discussions between developed and developing countries. Such as in EU discussions around the Global Climate Change Alliance and EU Africa Strategy.
• Ensure that the level of adaptation financing meets the needs of vulnerable countries, sectors and communities. All funding for adaptation should be new and additional to ODA. Funding adaptation from ‘charity’ or ‘aid’ funds is inadequate.
• Should provide support to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to attain full engagement in climate change negotiations. It is essential that the needs of the most vulnerable developing countries are met.

See the ActionAid report, “Equitable Adaptation Funding: The Case for an Enhanced Mechanism Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change”, ActionAid USA, September 2009

See the paper on Adaptation and the post-2012 framework, Tearfund, November 2007

See the joint paper of CONCORD, Climate Action Network and VOICE - October 2007

See the paper given to the parliamentarians from the European Union, the African, Caribbean and Pacific States on the financial instruments of hte European Commission on the environmental aspects of the development cooperation - November 2007