Integrating Climate Change Into Development Assistance

During the coming decades, the challenge of development will be further complicated by two new imperatives: limiting carbon emissions, and adapting to the impact of sea-level rise and destructive weather events. Without technical and financial assistance, most poor countries are unlikely to meet these challenges. Failure will mean continued growth of global carbon emissions, massive numbers of environmental refugees, major setbacks for development, and global instability bred by confrontations between countries that are the major sources and victims of climate change. Developed countries have a clear interest in avoiding this crisis, and development assistance can be a major vehicle for progress. CGD will assist by tracking the integration of climate change into development assistance, and by comparing the performance of assistance providers.