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Key reports for the CC&E Network 2017-2018

These publications provide insights and learning on key topics in climate change mitigation, adaptation and sustainable development, and highlight areas for future research and policy development.
Multiple Authors
2DU Kenya34  Pic by Neil Palmer (CIAT). Pictures from the Mount Kenya region, for the Two Degrees Up project, to look at the impact of climate change on agriculture. For more information please contact n.palmer@cgiar.org.

Introduction

The resources collated here attempt to reflect the breadth of the Climate Change & Environment Network. They provide insights and learning on key topics in climate change mitigation and adaptation, climate finance, environment and sustainable development.

Note:The publication descriptions provided below are based on text included in the institutional description of the publication and the publication itself (including but not limited to the Foreword(s) and Executive Summary), and a review of the contents. This document is available to download from the right-hand column.

Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity and Variability

This book from the World Bank presents new insights and understanding on how extreme episodes of rainfall coupled with water scarcity impacts farms, families and cities. It describes the ‘wicked problem’ of water as a natural resource, and details how projected changes in rainfall variability and how this is affecting and is expected to affect: agriculture and food security; civil society, in particular child development and gender issues; and, businesses and urban services. It provides details of investment strategies and policy changes that could manage and reduce these impacts to enhance future resilience.

This report is relevant to those working on climate change adaptation, environmental and natural resource governance, and development planning across levels.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28096

Adaptation Gap Report 2017

The United Nations Environment Programme “Emissions Gap Report” provides an independent scientific assessment of the current global greenhouse emissions trend based on national pledges, and how these compare with trajectories required to restrict global temperature rise to well below 2 °C warming by the year 2100. It also details options to bridge this ‘gap’ in order to meet this goal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2017 Gap Report includes an assessment of the emissions associated with the Nationally Determined Contributions and current policies of each of the G20 members. It also explores “carbon negative technologies” as an additional way to mitigate climate change, over and above conventional abatement strategies, and options for phasing out the use of coal as an energy source.

This publication will be useful for those associated with and informing the NDCs, and those working in climate change mitigation, low carbon development and air pollution.

Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report

This working paper from the World Bank presents six fundamental principles to “support the establishment and enhancement of climate dialogue at all levels – global, regional, national, and local” – to enhance climate action. Reflecting the potential for the private sector to play a leading role in reducing the negative effects of climate change, it puts particular focus on promoting inclusive public-private dialogue and private sector engagement. The principles have been developed by a group of private- and public-sector partners, and aim to bring these sectors together “as a single, well-structured platform from which to identify challenges and implement solutions for climate change issues”. The six principles are: (1) urgency; (2) inclusion; (3) awareness; (4) efficiency; (5) transparency; and (6) accountability.

This working paper is relevant to those working to build and enhance private-public partnerships and collaboration, in private sector engagement in general and in development across scales.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28944

Towards a pollution-free planet: background report

This UNEP background report describes the global challenge of pollution, explores what is being done to address it, and proposes 50 interventions to address pollution in all its forms. It presents the science, impacts and economic costs of: air pollution; land and soil pollution; freshwater pollution; marine and coastal pollution; and cross-cutting sources of pollution, including chemicals and waste. It describes governance frameworks, challenges and opportunities in the context of the 2030 Agenda, including: environmental agreements and national regulations, the actual and potential benefits of addressing pollution; challenges and gaps, opportunities from the sustainable development goals; and stakeholder engagement. It then explores how to transition to a pollution-free planet, including through: targeted priority interventions; transformative actions to shift the economy, such as through finance, ecosystem-based approaches, policy, technology and lifestyle choices; and how this transition can be enabled through decision-making, governance, economic instruments, education and cooperation and partnerships.

This report is relevant to those working on air pollution and quality, environmental governance, and development planning across levels, and in education and outreach activities.

Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/towards-pollution-free-planet-background-report

Unbreakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters

This World Bank report looks beyond the reporting of economic losses due to the impacts of natural disasters on buildings, infrastructure and productivity to the impact that they have on people’s well-being. This is in recognition of the fact that poor people are disproportionately vulnerable to disasters and are underrepresented in asset-based reporting, which only considers how disaster affects those ‘who have assets to lose in the first place’. It describes how and why poor people suffer disproportionately from natural hazards, how natural disasters keep people in poverty, and why global impacts of natural disasters on well-being are under-estimated. It explores how the impact of disasters on people’s well-being can be mitigated and how their resilience can be increased, including through financial inclusion, insurance and social protection. It proposes a global resilience package and includes study result for 117 countries.

The report is relevant to those working in disaster risk management, adaptation, national planning, international governance and poverty reduction.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25335

The Emissions Gap Report 2017

The United Nations Environment Programme “Emissions Gap Report” provides an independent scientific assessment of the current global greenhouse emissions trend based on national pledges, and how these compare with trajectories required to restrict global temperature rise to well below 2 °C warming by the year 2100. It also details options to bridge this ‘gap’ in order to meet this goal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2017 Gap Report includes an assessment of the emissions associated with the Nationally Determined Contributions and current policies of each of the G20 members. It also explores “carbon negative technologies” as an additional way to mitigate climate change, over and above conventional abatement strategies, and options for phasing out the use of coal as an energy source.

This publication will be useful for those associated with and informing the NDCs, and those working in climate change mitigation, low carbon development and air pollution.

Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report

The third global Adaptation Gap Report by UN Environment – prepared in collaboration with the Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation – focuses on the assessment of progress towards the global goal on adaptation, and the key opportunities and challenges this presents. The report synthesizes relevant information and ongoing work in preparation for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. In contrast to previous Adaptation Gap Reports, the 2017 report does not assess a specific dimension of the adaptation gap. It instead explores conceptual and methodological issues for assessing adaptation progress at the global level, current country-specific assessments of adaptation progress (including case studies), and how we can move towards the assessment of adaptation progress at the global level, including considerations for a future framework to support this.

This report is relevant to those working in the monitoring and evaluation of adaptation, international governance and adaptation in general.

Source: https://www.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/vulnerability/un-adaptation-gap-report-2017

Modern Energy Access and Health

This State of Electricity Access Report report from the World Bank presents the implications of energy access (including reliability) for human health at the healthcare facility and household level. It lays out the growing need in the developing world for modern energy services and describes the current barriers to achieving better energy access and reliability. It then details potential solutions, including “decentralized renewable energy, hybrid solar PV/diesel, grid extension, energy-efficient medical equipment, a greater availability of clean energy sources and technologies (such as cleaner cook stoves and fuels)”. The report describes how the incorporation of health considerations into energy policy is needed to address this unmet need “in and efficient and timely manner”, and how this may be achieved through building on the linkages between Sustainable Development Goals 5, 11 and 13 (gender equality, sustainable urban environments and climate action, respectively.

This report is relevant to those working on climate change adaptation, national planning and international development.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/26648

Climate change, Migration and Displacement: the need for a risk-informed and coherent approach

This paper by ODI and UNDP provides an overview of the evidence base for complex relationships between climate change and human mobility. It “aims to support the development of an informed global discourse across the humanitarian, peace and sustainable development agendas and as a counter to some of the sensationalist claims often propagated by the media”. It explores the challenges of linking human mobility to climate change, the challenges and opportunities of human migration (including migration as adaptation), and how this issue can be addressed at the global level.

This paper is relevant to those working in climate change adaptation, international development and national planning.

Source: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/climate-and-disaster-resilience-/migration-report.html

Future of the Funds: Exploring the Architecture of Multilateral Climate Finance

This report by the World Resources Institute looks at how seven key multilateral climate funds operate, and how they could be improved to better deliver low-emissions and climate-resilient development. The funds analysed include the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, the Least Developed Countries Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund, and the Adaptation Fund, plus two Climate Investment Funds — the Clean Technology Fund and the Strategic Climate Fund (which encompasses the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience, the Forest Investment Program and the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries Program). The report recommends operational and architectural reforms to improve the ability of these funds to: achieve impact at scale; promote country ownership; improve efficiency; support equitable allocation; and increase accountability.

This report is relevant to those working in climate finance and international governance.

Source: http://www.wri.org/publication/future-of-the-funds

Dialogue for Climate Action : Designing Dialogue for Climate Change – Six Fundamental Principles for Catalyzing Climate Action through Dialogue

This working paper from the World Bank presents six fundamental principles to “support the establishment and enhancement of climate dialogue at all levels – global, regional, national, and local” – to enhance climate action. Reflecting the potential for the private sector to play a leading role in reducing the negative effects of climate change, it puts particular focus on promoting inclusive public-private dialogue and private sector engagement. The principles have been developed by a group of private- and public-sector partners, and aim to bring these sectors together “as a single, well-structured platform from which to identify challenges and implement solutions for climate change issues”. The six principles are: (1) urgency; (2) inclusion; (3) awareness; (4) efficiency; (5) transparency; and (6) accountability.

This working paper is relevant to those working to build and enhance private-public partnerships and collaboration, in private sector engagement in general and in development across scales.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/28944

Towards a pollution-free planet: background report

This UNEP background report describes the global challenge of pollution, explores what is being done to address it, and proposes 50 interventions to address pollution in all its forms. It presents the science, impacts and economic costs of: air pollution; land and soil pollution; freshwater pollution; marine and coastal pollution; and cross-cutting sources of pollution, including chemicals and waste. It describes governance frameworks, challenges and opportunities in the context of the 2030 Agenda, including: environmental agreements and national regulations, the actual and potential benefits of addressing pollution; challenges and gaps, opportunities from the sustainable development goals; and stakeholder engagement. It then explores how to transition to a pollution-free planet, including through: targeted priority interventions; transformative actions to shift the economy, such as through finance, ecosystem-based approaches, policy, technology and lifestyle choices; and how this transition can be enabled through decision-making, governance, economic instruments, education and cooperation and partnerships.

This report is relevant to those working on air pollution and quality, environmental governance, and development planning across levels, and in education and outreach activities.

Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/report/towards-pollution-free-planet-background-report

Unbreakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters

This World Bank report looks beyond the reporting of economic losses due to the impacts of natural disasters on buildings, infrastructure and productivity to the impact that they have on people’s well-being. This is in recognition of the fact that poor people are disproportionately vulnerable to disasters and are underrepresented in asset-based reporting, which only considers how disaster affects those ‘who have assets to lose in the first place’. It describes how and why poor people suffer disproportionately from natural hazards, how natural disasters keep people in poverty, and why global impacts of natural disasters on well-being are under-estimated. It explores how the impact of disasters on people’s well-being can be mitigated and how their resilience can be increased, including through financial inclusion, insurance and social protection. It proposes a global resilience package and includes study result for 117 countries.

The report is relevant to those working in disaster risk management, adaptation, national planning, international governance and poverty reduction.

Source: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25335

The Emissions Gap Report 2017

The United Nations Environment Programme “Emissions Gap Report” provides an independent scientific assessment of the current global greenhouse emissions trend based on national pledges, and how these compare with trajectories required to restrict global temperature rise to well below 2 °C warming by the year 2100. It also details options to bridge this ‘gap’ in order to meet this goal of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2017 Gap Report includes an assessment of the emissions associated with the Nationally Determined Contributions and current policies of each of the G20 members. It also explores “carbon negative technologies” as an additional way to mitigate climate change, over and above conventional abatement strategies, and options for phasing out the use of coal as an energy source.

This publication will be useful for those associated with and informing the NDCs, and those working in climate change mitigation, low carbon development and air pollution.

Source: https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissions-gap-report

This list is composed from inputs received through the ‘Report Tracking Exercise’ (produced for the CC&E Network by Julia Barrott, Research Fellow and weADAPT.org Knowledge Manager at the Stockholm Environment Institute’s Oxford Office) and by suggestions from the GPCCE staff members at Headquarters. Final compilation by CC&E Network Focal Point, January 2018.

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