European Capacity Building Initiative

Policy Briefs and Notes

A review of 2012 Fast-start Finance to assess whether wealthy nations transparently contributed a fair-share of the US$ 30 billion pledge.

A review of 2012 Fast-start Finance to assess whether wealthy nations transparently contributed a fair-share of the US$ 30 billion pledge, while balancing adaptation and mitigation funding, sourcing funds through UNFCCC channels, and without reverting to debt- inducing loans in the place of grants.

Have Climate Finance Promises Been Fulfilled for the LDCs?

Author:
David Ciplet, Timmons Roberts, Mizan Khan, Spencer Fields and Keith Madden
Publication Date:
April, 2013

In a recent Concept Note,1 Benito Müller put forward the idea of a Southern Solidarity Fund (SSF) to receive voluntary contributions from developing countries for South-South climate change cooperation. It is meant to be established by the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC or Convention) with a developing country Board, and to be operated by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), as an operating entity of the FCCC financial mechanism. As such, it is meant to give developing countries ‘the opportunity to provide support to their peers for climate change activities’2 which ‘should be able to avail itself of the best available delivery systems, such as is hoped will be established under the Green Climate Fund, in particular through Enhanced Direct Access, where operational decision-making is devolved to recipient countries.’

Legal Options and Challenges

Author:
Charlotte Streck and David Rossati
Publication Date:
May, 2014

The Need for Strategic Caps and Balances

Author:
Benito Müller
Publication Date:
April, 2016

The Reformed Financial Mechanism II; Section III. Compliance Oversight

The Reformed Financial Mechanism II; Section III. Compliance Oversight

Part II The Question of Oversight, Post Copenhagen Synthesis Report

Author:
Benito Müller, with contributions by Anju Sharma, Luis Gomez-Echeverri, Dane P. Rook and Achala Chandani
Publication Date:
June, 2009

A new source of finance for climate action at the local level?

The policy brief considers ways in which crowdfunding for climate change (CF4CC) could be used to get funds to the 1.5 billion urban and rural poor currently without access to modern energy, to enable them to invest in renewable energy systems such as solar home systems, energy efficient products, or mini-grids serving communities and small towns.

A proposal based on this Policy Brief won the Popular Choice Award in the 2012-2013 MIT Climate Co-Lab “Scaling renewables in major emerging economies” contest.

Author:
Konrad von Ritter and Diann Black-Layne
Publication Date:
May, 2013

The Berlin Mandate, adopted during the early hours of 7 April 1995, marked the end of the first Conference of Parties (COP 1) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Berlin, Germany.1 The Mandate was one of the most important decisions of the COP, paving the way for the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol.2

As Chief Negotiator for Sweden, I participated actively in high-level informal consultations before the Berlin COP. During the COP, I chaired a high-level working group on the Berlin Mandate, which was established at the very beginning of the conference and worked all through, with meetings practically every day. My reflections in this paper seek to provide an insider’s view of the Berlin Mandate process, and draw lessons for the ongoing negotiations for a post-2020 climate regime.

Process and Substance

Author:
Bo Kjellen
Publication Date:
May, 2014

Joint Submission to the Green Climate Fund Board

Author:
Benito Müller, with Diann Black-Lane, Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, Cheikh Sylla, and Anders Wallberg
Publication Date:
April, 2016

Taxe sur le transport aerien de passagers en faveur de l'adaptation (IAPAL)

PROPOSITION DU GROUPE DES PAYS LES MOINS AVANCES (PMA) dans le cadre du Plan díACTION DE BALI Soumise ‡ la CCNUCC AWG-LCA le 12 dÈcembre 2008avec Treize Questions/rÈponses - Taxe sur le transport aerien de passagers en faveur de l'adaptation (IAPAL)

Author:
Compilees par Benito Müller
Publication Date:
July, 2009

Dissecting the Green Climate Fund

speaking notes

Author:
Benito Müller
Publication Date:
July, 2011

In their Scenario Note on the sixth part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), the ADP Co-chairs emphasized that “it is essential to use the October session to make significant progress in clarifying and advancing the content of the 2015 agreement, to build bridges and to work together on outstanding issues. In particular, it will be important in the October session, to further clarify and flesh out the operational aspects of the agreement. Key challenges that will need focussed attention in our work include: deepening the understanding on the longer-term cycle of contributions/commitments, including its periodicity (length) and the functions of the steps proposed, such as any periodical consideration or assessment and review”.

This ecbi/OCP Concept Note by Benito Müller, Xolisa J. Ngwadla (South Africa), Jose D. G. Miguez (Brazil) with Isabel Cavelier Adarve (Colombia), Carlos Fuller (Belize), Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu (DRC), and Nagmeldin G. Elhassan (Sudan) introduces the idea of a Dynamic Contribution Cycle as a contribution to the debate on these issues.

Sequencing Contributions in the 2015 Paris Agreement

Author:
Benito Müller, Xolisa J. Ngwadla, Jose D. G. Miguez with Isabel Cavelier Adarve, Carlos Fuller, Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu & Nagmeldin G. Elhassan
Publication Date:
October, 2014

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