Climate Change and Development Update
March 27, 2014
Dear %%nickname%%:
It’s easy to feel discouraged about efforts to combat climate change, so it’s worth celebrating the bright spots. In early February, CGD presented Unilever CEO Paul Polman with the 2013 Commitment to Development Award for his leadership in promoting sustainable supply chains and reducing tropical deforestation—a potentially low-cost way to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases. Soon after we cheered on the World Resources Institute’s launch of Global Forest Watch, a cutting edge forest monitoring and alert system. In other news, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility reached a major milestone, and a pet proposal of mine for jumpstarting the Green Climate Fund is not dead yet.
Best,
Michele de Nevers
Unilever CEO Honored for Combatting Tropical Deforestation
In February the Center for Global Development and Foreign Policy Magazine honored Unilever CEO Paul Polman (video available) with the 2013 Commitment to Development "Ideas in Action" Award for his global leadership in efforts to reduce tropical deforestation. The award came on the heels of news that Wilmar International—the world’s largest trader of palm oil—had committed to a “No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation” policy. CGD senior fellow Frances Seymour explains why the news is A Big Deal for Tropical Forests.
The Data Revolution Hits Forests
In February the World Resources Institute launched Global Forest Watch, a partnership with Google, CGD (we are proud to have contributed the Forest Monitoring for Action (FORMA) data tool at the heart of it!), and more than 40 other partners. CGD research fellow Jonah Busch explains that Global Forest Watch allows researchers to something hitherto impossible: track deforestation and reforestation around the world in near real time. Frances, the former head of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), discusses in a Q&A how the new system will make it easier for countries to monitor progress in reducing deforestation, and for consumers to hold firms accountable to pledges regarding sustainable forestry and cultivation practices.
Carbon Fund Milestone
Creation of a “Methodological Framework” for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility sounds pretty wonky. Especially when you learn that it includes 38 criteria. But when you consider that potentially billions of dollars in payments for forest protection are at potentially at stake, it’s understandable that some careful rule making would be involved. Jonah, who served as a technical advisor to the process, says that the framework is a major milestone, and describes why it matters and how it would work—when and if donors come up with the funding. That’s the goal of CGD’s recently launched Tropical Forests for Climate and Development Initiative.
The Future of Climate Finance
At the February meeting of the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Bali, Indonesia, a key topic of discussion was the institution’s initial resource mobilization. I have argued that it would make sense to Jump Start the Green Climate Fund by transferring the Climate Investment Funds now housed at the World Bank to the GCF. Hela Cheikhrouhou, the GCF executive director, said that with the support of GCF Board members such a shift would be feasible but challenging. The key: ensuring that such a transfer is not seen as a way for donors to re-package existing contributions and avoid new funding for climate.
