Committee on Environmental Policy (CEP) invited the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and UNEP secretariats, in close consultation with relevant stakeholders, including ministries, business and civil society, to prepare an updated report on progress and future prospects in greening the economy in the pan-European region and to include in the report additional chapters on the identification of priorities for greening the economy in the region and possible modalities and options to achieve that (ECE/CEP/2013/2, para. 116 (g) (iii)). The present report attempts to respond to the CEP request and aims at facilitating discussion by CEP. CEP will be invited to consider the issue of greening the economy in the region, including further steps and actions necessary to advance it.
Long-lived infrastructure is inherently exposed to climate risks through its longevity, irreversibility and high initial capital cost. Major transport infrastructure is often designed for a lifetime measured in many decades and may be operational in a future climate that will be significantly different to the historical climate commonly used for planning and design. This policy brief focuses on port infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates the climate change risks, the use of climate services in decision-making and makes recommendations for actions to enhance the resilience of port infrastructure. It summarises a more comprehensive paper prepared to support the scoping phase of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme for the ports sector.
The cities of Accra in Ghana and Maputo in Mozambique currently face many development challenges, such as poor transport and drainage infrastructure, as a result of inadequate planning regulation and law enforcement. These weaknesses in governance and service provision already have profound implications for people’s livelihoods. Climate change is likely to lead to flooding and coastal erosion in these cities, which will compound these development challenges. As part of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) scoping phase, the authors assessed whether and how future climate information is being used to guide the planning and delivery of development programmes in the two cities. Methods included a desktop study, a preliminary survey and a participatory workshop in each city. In the process, a recently developed ‘co-exploration’ workshop methodology was further refined. The workshop, held in Accra in June 2014, explored how multiple risks and stressors create vulnerability for city residents, using Dansoman in Accra and Costa do Sol in Maputo as test cases.
This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Zambia pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate smart and robust to projected changes in the medium to long term. The findings are based on activities undertaken by the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre between February and October 2014, in close collaboration with the Met Office Hadley Centre and the Zambia Red Cross Society. These activities included a literature review, scientific research, two multi-sector, multi-stakeholder workshops and a high-level meeting with key representatives from government, civil society, the Met Office and the private sector.
Climate change is altering the context in which decisions are made. In order to remain robust and sustainable within the context of a changing climate, policy and planning decisions need to take into account the projected changes in temperature, rainfall and extremes. In order for climate scientists to generate useful future projections, they need to understand what weather and climate information decision-makers need. This policy brief highlights key findings from the FCFA Malawi pilot case study regarding how current and future climate science can enable development and humanitarian policy, planning and implementation that is climate-smart and robust to projected climatic changes in the medium- to long-term.
Current climate variability and extreme events have already lead to major impacts in Rwanda. These include floods and landslides, but also the effects of rainfall variability on agriculture, e.g. soil erosion and droughts. Future climate change has the potential to exacerbate these impacts and to introduce new risks. These impacts have been recognised and are being integrated into national policy. In 2011, Rwanda launched a National Strategy for Climate Change and Low Carbon Development, and the country now has an operational climate and environment fund (FONERWA, named after its French acronym). It is also mainstreaming climate change into national and sector development plans. The focus of early adaptation in these policies has been on addressing current climate variability and the existing adaptation deficit. However, there is an increasing interest in future climate challenges over the medium to long term. This will require improved information and its effective use in decision-making, and this aligns with the objectives of FCFA. Against this background, the FCFA pilot study investigated the current and potential future use of climate information for adaptation in Rwanda.
This policy brief focuses on large hydropower infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. It investigates the climate change risks and the use of climate services in decision-making and makes recommendations for actions to enhance the resilience of hydropower schemes. It summarises a more comprehensive paper prepared to support the scoping phase of the Future Climate for Africa (FCFA) programme for the hydropower sector.
This report finds that revenue account fund disbursement in Punjab in terms of percentage share of the total for water supply, irrigation, and science, ecology and environment has decreased for the financial year 2012–13 over 2011–12. This finding further strengthens the need for a process that will enable pro-active measures for supporting environmental sustainability considerations within the existing public finance framework. The report articulates "green budgeting" as a process where every year, government agencies (departments, directorates, boards, councils, commissions) through the Annual Budget Circular, by preparing Green Budget Statements, will highlight the quantum of public expenditure earmarked in the state budget for environmental sustainability initiatives as well as reducing expenditure in unsustainable sectors. For implementing such a process in Punjab, the Planning Department and Finance Department will need to play a role in coordinating the process along with nodal support from the Department of Science Technology and Environment.
This paper argues in favour of an approach that has growth-oriented climate investment and social inclusion at its core. It presents a roadmap to a green economy in South Asia where interventions are categorized under: i) priority programmatic interventions that can contribute to an inclusive green economy; ii) strategies for mainstreaming green growth in macro-economic development policy and planning; iii) upscaling of policy and technology innovations; and iv) regional cooperation. The challenge, however, would be to have the roadmap implemented in an integrated manner accompanied by equitable benefit sharing arrangements at the institutional level. The constraints arise primarily because of inadequate stakeholder awareness and engagement in the transition process, which makes the approach to a green economy in South Asia as much a socio-cultural challenge at the country level, as that of the political leadership at the regional level.
This paper first reviews the conceptual case for, and appropriate design of, fiscal policies to address major externalities associated with energy use — global warming, local air pollution, and various side effects (e.g., congestion) from motor vehicles. Techniques for (roughly) estimating the magnitude of these externalities, and corrective energy taxes, on a country-by-country basis are then described. The implications for reforming energy taxes, and the potential environmental, health, and fiscal benefits from reform, are then discussed. A theme of the paper is the critical role of finance ministries in administering tax reforms and ensuring efficient use of revenues.