#theme:climate

Corruption and other factors can influence deforestation in contradictory ways. For the purpose of country-level implementation of REDD+, donors should focus particularly on three corruption risk areas: land grabbing and tenure rights, fraud in monitoring, evaluation and reporting, and elite capture of REDD+ revenues.

The recent rise in the number of food insecure people in the world, coupled with incidences of crop failure due to adverse weather, have made world leaders increasingly aware that future climate change may severely limit our ability to feed the growing population towards 2050. So far, in addition to industrial emission control, Norwegian efforts to restrict climate change have focused on mitigation through forest protection (REDD+) and clean energy (Energy+). A third area of attention is climate-smart agriculture. Producing food in a more ‘climate smart’ way is seen as having three advantages: 1) Providing food for an increasing population, 2) maintaining food production under a changing climate, and 3) reducing greenhouse gas emission from agriculture while absorbing carbon in vegetation and soil. This report explores how Norway can support Africa’s efforts to make agriculture more climate-smart through support to African universities.

Decisions on energy policies and associated investment are among the most difficult facing countries, particularly in developing economies. On them may depend billions of dollars and even determine whether energy services are available to the poor. This paper examines how open data and crowdsourcing – the out-sourcing of tasks to a distributed group of people – can assist developing countries. The paper provides a survey of existing research and explores the potential role that open data can play in both supporting analysis and in enhancing public engagement with energy issues. The paper argues that open modelling efforts can improve the utility and accessibility of energy models and also lower the cost of data collection and management.

The Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund (ICCTF) is designed as a National Climate (Trust) Fund (NCF), which aims to develop innovative ways to link international finance sources with national investment strategies. In general, national climate finance institutions (NCFIs) are mechanisms that enable governments to strengthen national political and fiscal systems through directing financing towards national climate change projects and programmes. As it is country driven, it supports the strengthening of national institutions and coordinates climate change activities to enhance sustainable development and aid effectiveness. This case study provides an initial insight into the institutional set-up of a national climate finance institution. It gives an overview about the evolution of Indonesia's climate change policy and introduces the ICCTF, including the funding sources, design, governance, administration and current operations.

This is the third book in a series of highly recognised REDD+ volumes from CIFOR. It provides an analysis of actual REDD+ design and early implementation, based on a large research project – the Global Comparative Study on REDD+ (GCS), undertaken by CIFOR and partners. It takes stock of national, subnational and local REDD+ experiences, and identifies the political and practical challenges to designing and implementing effective, efficient and equitable REDD+ policies and projects. Key conclusions are: As an idea, REDD+ is a success story REDD+ faces huge challenges REDD+ requires – and can catalyse – transformational change REDD+ projects are hybrids in high deforestation areas 'No regret’ policy options exist

Participation is viewed as an important means for promoting the sustainable management of natural resources. However, it is not always successful. Conflicting values and power inequalities are all factors that can severely undermine participatory processes. This article focuses on differing views of reality and underlying cultural biases. The research states that cultural theory (CT), which subdivides the divergent notions of reality into four worldviews (hierarchism, individualism, egalitarianism, fatalism), could be a useful tool to gain insight in conflicting views of reality and the consequences of these conflicting views for participatory processes. To investigate the value of CT for participation, a study in Java, Indonesia, was carried out to determine to what extent worldviews can be used to predict preferred strategies in forestry problems. The results show that an empirical identification of worldviews was possible.

Year after year, the United Nations climate negotiations seem to fail the test of saving the global climate in the public eye. This briefing paper argues that the expectations placed on the UN climate regime are simply too high, which is damaging as they resonate with sceptics of international climate policy and UN multilateralism in general. Nevertheless, the UN climate regime plays a crucial role by catalysing climate action, building a common vision between different states, enhancing transparency and promoting the diffusion of novel policy ideas and instruments. According to the paper, the role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) could be further strengthened by allowing it to act as an orchestrator which coordinates the array of initiatives.

The paper focuses on the public financing component of climate change actions, but also acknowledges the role played by communities, civil society, the private sector and international support. The objective of the study has been to develop an appropriate methodology and then conduct an exploratory Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR), at both the national and local level. This CPEIR reviews the financial management systems as well as the institutional arrangements and policy directives for allocating and spending climate change-related finance. The study entails:An assessment of current policy priorities and strategies as these relate to climate change.A review of the institutional arrangements for promoting the integration of climate change policy priorities into budgeting and expenditure management. A review of the integration of climate change objectives within the budgetary process, including as part of budget planning, implementation& expenditure management