High Level Advisory Group on Climate Financing
Encyclopedia
The United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
established a High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF) on 12 February 2010 for the duration of 10 months.
The stated aim of the Group is to "study potential sources of revenue that will enable achievement of the level of climate change financing that was promised during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009."
The Advisory Group
The Group is co-chaired by Jens Stoltenberg
, Prime Minister of Norway, Meles Zenawi
, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo
is the third head of state on the board, but is not a co-chair. Members include experts from developed countries, developing countries and international development organization and the academic world. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
co-chaired with Zenawi from the Group's formation in February 2010 to 6 June 2010, when he was replaced by Stoltenberg
.
As part of its work, the Group will develop practical proposals on how to significantly scale-up long-term financing for mitigation and adaptation strategies in developing countries from various public as well as private sources.
The AGF Report
The High-Level Advisory Group released its final report on 5 November 2010, just ahead of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference
in Cancun, Mexico. The report concluded that it is "challenging but feasible" to reach the goal of mobilizing US$100 billion annually for climate actions in developing countries by 2020.
The AGF Report examined various approaches, including existing and new public funding and increased private flows. Its definition of “public” finance includes “direct budget contributions” as one strand, with fiver others envisaging finance from carbon market auction revenues; revenue from international transport (shipping and airline taxes); carbon taxation; multilateral funds (most notably, IMF Special Drawing Rights); and an international financial transactions tax. Two work streams considering private finance will cover “using public finance to leverage private investment/finance” (including debt swaps and insurance schemes) and carbon markets (which includes CDM reform and sectoral proposals). In addition to the main report, they published eight different work streams paper, providing technical information and analysis for each finance source.
Although the AGF Report did not build a blueprint for implementing these sources, it does assess all sources based on eight criteria, which includes revenue, efficiency (carbon efficiency - the impact of a method on setting a price for carbon externality and overall efficiency - taking into account impacts on developed country growth and risks, equity (distribution of revenue), incidence (who really pays for the climate change mitigation and adaptation actions - should avoid payment by developing countries or inclusion of developing countries’ contribution in counting towards 100billion, practicality (feasibility before 2020), reliability, additionality to Official Development Assistance and acceptability (domestic political acceptability in both developed and developing countries).
Critics from the Civil Society
Civil society critics have claimed that the group could contribute to the downgrading of UNFCCC negotiations, as well as complaining of a lack of transparency and a significant gender bias. Also, many civil society organizations do not agree that US 100 billion per year is sufficient for climate change financing, but overall, NGOs are content with the pressure on developed countries brought by the AGF report.
Responses of Countries to the AGF Report
The United States government rejected all new innovative sources at international scale proposed in the AGF Report, namely, Financial Transaction Tax (FTTs), Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), Bunker Fuels in the Maritime and Aviation Sector. Although the cap-and-trade bill was rejected at the Congress in 2010, the U.S. government still considers carbon market as the more viable way to finance climate change activities.
The European Union in general favors innovative sources. With the fate of the Kyoto Protocol undetermined beyond 2012, the EU has limited offset projects in Least Developed Countries. Under the G20 leadership leadership of the French presidency, the EU is considering a Financial Transaction Tax at the European Union level, and channel the revenue for climate, health, education and other international development purpose. A detailed report has recently published stating European Commission's response to the AGF report.
Gaining Momentum in Climate Financing Discussions
In the Cancun Agreements, Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC "take notes" of various reports on the needs of financing needs and options, including the report of the High Level Advisory Group on Climate Financing. Although "take notes" is relevant weak wording, the AGF Report is referenced in all submissions to the UNFCCC regarding climate finance, especially innovative sources.
Outside the UNFCCC system, the AGF report is extensively referenced in climate financing discussion at the G20, European Union, International Maritime Organization, and other international forums. As many other potential financing sources, accessing this source will require political will. Efforts have been made under the G20 to remove fossil fuel subsidies, but they were not successful once again at the recent G20 meeting in Seoul.
Similar to the AGF report, there are many high-profile reports; addressing climate finance sources with a focus on innovative sources. The international community is making critical decisions on how to mobilize up to US$100 billion per year by 2020 based on recommendations in these reports.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
established a High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF) on 12 February 2010 for the duration of 10 months.
The stated aim of the Group is to "study potential sources of revenue that will enable achievement of the level of climate change financing that was promised during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009."
The Advisory Group
The Group is co-chaired by Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
, Prime Minister of Norway, Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres is the Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Since 1985, he has been chairman of the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front , and is currently head of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front .Meles was born in Adwa, Tigray in Northern Ethiopia, to an Ethiopian father from...
, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo
Bharrat Jagdeo
Bharrat Jagdeo is a Guyanese politician who has been President of Guyana since 11 August 1999. Prior to his presidency he was Minister of Finance and became President after Janet Jagan resigned for health reasons; subsequently he won two elections, in 2001 and 2006.Jagdeo was born in Unity Village...
is the third head of state on the board, but is not a co-chair. Members include experts from developed countries, developing countries and international development organization and the academic world. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
co-chaired with Zenawi from the Group's formation in February 2010 to 6 June 2010, when he was replaced by Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
.
As part of its work, the Group will develop practical proposals on how to significantly scale-up long-term financing for mitigation and adaptation strategies in developing countries from various public as well as private sources.
The AGF Report
The High-Level Advisory Group released its final report on 5 November 2010, just ahead of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference
2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. The conference is officially referred to as the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 6th session of the...
in Cancun, Mexico. The report concluded that it is "challenging but feasible" to reach the goal of mobilizing US$100 billion annually for climate actions in developing countries by 2020.
The AGF Report examined various approaches, including existing and new public funding and increased private flows. Its definition of “public” finance includes “direct budget contributions” as one strand, with fiver others envisaging finance from carbon market auction revenues; revenue from international transport (shipping and airline taxes); carbon taxation; multilateral funds (most notably, IMF Special Drawing Rights); and an international financial transactions tax. Two work streams considering private finance will cover “using public finance to leverage private investment/finance” (including debt swaps and insurance schemes) and carbon markets (which includes CDM reform and sectoral proposals). In addition to the main report, they published eight different work streams paper, providing technical information and analysis for each finance source.
Although the AGF Report did not build a blueprint for implementing these sources, it does assess all sources based on eight criteria, which includes revenue, efficiency (carbon efficiency - the impact of a method on setting a price for carbon externality and overall efficiency - taking into account impacts on developed country growth and risks, equity (distribution of revenue), incidence (who really pays for the climate change mitigation and adaptation actions - should avoid payment by developing countries or inclusion of developing countries’ contribution in counting towards 100billion, practicality (feasibility before 2020), reliability, additionality to Official Development Assistance and acceptability (domestic political acceptability in both developed and developing countries).
Critics from the Civil Society
Civil society critics have claimed that the group could contribute to the downgrading of UNFCCC negotiations, as well as complaining of a lack of transparency and a significant gender bias. Also, many civil society organizations do not agree that US 100 billion per year is sufficient for climate change financing, but overall, NGOs are content with the pressure on developed countries brought by the AGF report.
Responses of Countries to the AGF Report
The United States government rejected all new innovative sources at international scale proposed in the AGF Report, namely, Financial Transaction Tax (FTTs), Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), Bunker Fuels in the Maritime and Aviation Sector. Although the cap-and-trade bill was rejected at the Congress in 2010, the U.S. government still considers carbon market as the more viable way to finance climate change activities.
The European Union in general favors innovative sources. With the fate of the Kyoto Protocol undetermined beyond 2012, the EU has limited offset projects in Least Developed Countries. Under the G20 leadership leadership of the French presidency, the EU is considering a Financial Transaction Tax at the European Union level, and channel the revenue for climate, health, education and other international development purpose. A detailed report has recently published stating European Commission's response to the AGF report.
Gaining Momentum in Climate Financing Discussions
In the Cancun Agreements, Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC "take notes" of various reports on the needs of financing needs and options, including the report of the High Level Advisory Group on Climate Financing. Although "take notes" is relevant weak wording, the AGF Report is referenced in all submissions to the UNFCCC regarding climate finance, especially innovative sources.
Outside the UNFCCC system, the AGF report is extensively referenced in climate financing discussion at the G20, European Union, International Maritime Organization, and other international forums. As many other potential financing sources, accessing this source will require political will. Efforts have been made under the G20 to remove fossil fuel subsidies, but they were not successful once again at the recent G20 meeting in Seoul.
Similar to the AGF report, there are many high-profile reports; addressing climate finance sources with a focus on innovative sources. The international community is making critical decisions on how to mobilize up to US$100 billion per year by 2020 based on recommendations in these reports.