Climate – Ensuring low-emissions development and climate adaptation

What

Greenhouse gas emissions from human activity such as energy production, land use, industry and transport have so far resulted in an average global warming of around 1.1 degrees. Climate change has already had major consequences, such as more frequent and more severe extreme weather, sea level rises and changed precipitation patterns. As part of Norway’s follow-up on the Paris Agreement, Norway will double its climate funding to developing countries by 2026 and within this triple support for climate adaptation compared to 2020. The climate adaptation strategy Climate, hunger and vulnerability guides Norad’s aid for climate adaptation and the strategy Joining forces against hunger integrates climate adaptation into the efforts to support food production. Norad’s strategy and environmental action plan emphasize that all aspects of Norad’s aid will contribute to a greener world.

Why

As humans are completely dependent on nature and a livable climate, it is impossible to achieve the other Sustainable Development Goals without achieving the climate and nature goals. Many of the most vulnerable and poorest people in the world live in regions at risk of drought and flooding, where climate change leads to deaths, an increased burden of disease and more insecure food production, as well as water scarcity and loss of property. Climate adaptation is therefore a main priority for developing countries. The poorest countries are responsible for a very small proportion of global emissions. However, in order for global climate goals to be achieved, every country needs to ensure low-emission development. Developing countries therefore need support to reduce poverty in ways that do not tie them to high emissions over time. As all sectors contribute to emissions and/or are negatively affected by climate change, all areas of society must adapt to climate change and develop with minimal greenhouse gas emissions.

How

Norway’s climate-related aid includes the climate and forest initiative, energy aid, funding for climate-resilient food production, Oceans for Development and climate adaptation assistance. Most of Norway’s other aid programmes also contribute either to climate adaptation or low-emission development to some degree, i.e. vocational training for green jobs or health aid, which helps link climate and weather data to health data as part of the climate adaptation of health systems.

Norad prioritises four of the five thematic focus areas in the climate adaptation strategy: Early warning and weather services, investments to prevent and manage loss and damage, nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and climate-resilient food production. Norad contributes to the entire value chain from weather observations to notification systems for extreme weather adapted to end users. Norad also supports the use of forecast based financing, e.g. against hunger in the event of natural disasters. This is essential for quick preventive action that can save lives and assets. The aid supports several programmes that contribute to strengthening developing countries’ preparedness against natural disasters and to financing insurance schemes for countries affected by climate-related disasters. Much of Norad’s support for increased biodiversity contributes to climate adaptation, as well as low-emission development, as nature protects against the negative impact of climate change and binds carbon. Climate adaptation is an integral part of Norad’s food portfolio [link to separate subpage]. Climate change and natural disasters affect people differently due to gender, age, ability and disability. Inclusion and equality are therefore important focus areas in several of the projects.

Aid for low-emission development supports projects that contribute to e.g. renewable energy, greener shipping and sustainsable value chains. Norad also supports the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of rainforests and other ecosystems that are important carbon sinks, such as wetlands, mangrove forests and kelp forests.

Research and capacity-building are important initiatives both with regard to climate adaptation and low-emission development and Norad supports several projects with this purpose, including support for the improvement and implementation of developing countries’ climate targets under the Paris Agreement (NDCs).

Who/Where

Much of Norad’s climate funding is channelled through development banks (such as the World Bank, the African Bank and the Asia Bank), climate-related funds (such as GCF, GEF, the adaptation fund, the multilateral fund for implementing the Montreal Protocol, GFDRR and SEFA) and UN organisations (such as UNEP, UNDP, UNDRR, WMO, WFP, FAO and IFAD). Other key international partners are GCA, GIZ, GGGI, EnDev, and ESMAP. Civil society organisations that receive funding for climate projects include WRI, the Rainforest Fund, WWF, the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature, the Development Fund, Refugee Aid/NORCAP, IDH and the International Land and Forest Tenure Facility. Several government institutions in Norway are also important knowledge partners for this aid. Norway has entered into a bilateral climate partnership with Tanzania in which several sectors are involved to support Tanzania achieve its climate and environmental targets. Other key partner countries when it comes to climate include Indonesia, Brazil, Peru, Guyana, DR Congo and Colombia.

Links

• IPCC reports on emissions reductions and climate adaptation
• Paris Agreement , Sendai Framework
• IPCC and IPBES’ joint report on the correlations between climate and biodiversity
• Norad report Bistandens bidrag til å redusere klimautslipp (The contribution of aid to reduced greenhouse gas emissions)(Norwegian only)

Contact

For further information, please contact the Section for Nature and Climate.