Confronting Climate Change Update

December 23, 2013

Dear %%nickname%%,

I have two quick things to share with you before the end-of-year holidays:

My Plan for Jump-Starting the Green Climate Fund. There’s a lively discussion underway about the future of the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) and difficulty securing meaningful capital for the new Green Climate Fund (GCF). The twin problems suggest a win-win solution: move the CIFs from their current home in the World Bank to the new GCF headquarters in Songdo, South Korea, bringing along capital and a wealth of experience in managing large scale climate finance. If you like this idea, please share it!

Unilever CEO Wins CGD/FP Award for Leadership on Reducing Deforestation. This week, CGD and Foreign Policy (FP) announced that Paul Polman, CEO of the consumer goods giant Unilever, won the 2013 Commitment to Development Award for his leadership in efforts to reduce tropical deforestation associated with palm oil production. Frances Seymour explains the key role Unilever played in securing a landmark commitment from the world’s largest trader of palm oil, Wilmar International, to protect forests and communities, while reducing an important source of greenhouse gas emissions. The Award will be presented at CGD’s new headquarters in February.

Wishing you and yours all the best for the holidays! I look forward to being in touch in 2014.

Sincerely,

Michele de Nevers