22 February 2018: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Action on Climate Today (ACT) organized a high-level meeting with governments of Asia-Pacific countries to discuss ways to ensure that climate financing truly benefits women and vulnerable communities in the region. The meeting launched several publications and technical products on the state of climate finance in the region, highlighting the need for more financing to be directed towards enabling countries to address the impacts of climate change.

The Governments of Sweden and the UK supported the two-day meeting, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21-22 February, through the UNDP team for ‘Strengthening the Governance of Climate Change Finance’ (GCCF). Jaco Cilliers, UNDP, stated that the conference helped establish a common understanding of good practice and challenges in ensuring that climate finance is well managed. Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, ACT, noted that climate change represents one of the biggest challenges to the region’s continued economic development, and that the need for action is reflected in several international agreements, including the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on climate change. ACT is a non-governmental organization (NGO) working to reduce the effects of climate change in South Asia, supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

Participants from academia and civil society stressed that local communities should be aware of how climate financing is being used and what the impacts are on their communities.

Delegates at the meeting came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam and Vanuatu. Participants from academia and civil society stressed that local communities should be aware of how climate financing is being used and what the impacts are on their communities. The meeting discussed not only financing from international organizations, but also domestic financing sources and national budgeting for climate action.

The meeting launched several information products, including reports on the state of climate finance in specific countries in the region and on emerging lessons from financing frameworks. Discussions at the meeting focused on how countries can integrate climate financing with development planning, and be targeted to the needs of women and vulnerable communities.

A report by ACT, titled ‘Mainstreaming, accessing and institutionalising finance for climate change adaptation,’ states that many climate funds are slow to disburse, more so for adaptation than mitigation, and that the scale of need far exceeds the available funding, making it essential for countries to finance adaptation actions through national budgets. A 2017 ACT policy brief, titled ‘Financing adaptation: emerging lessons from Climate Change Financing Frameworks,’ notes that many countries in the region spend between 0.5% to 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on programmes that address climate change in some way, and that adaptation benefits often occur as a by-product of conventional development programmes. [UNDP-ACT Press Release] [Meeting Webpage with Links to Presentations] [Video of Key Messages] [Mainstreaming, Accessing and Institutionalizing Finance for Climate Change Adaptation] [Emerging Lessons from Climate Change Financing Frameworks]