United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Members of parliament can help break the international stalemate on climate change action by ‘domesticating’ global decisions, using national legislation. But to do that they often need long-term capacity-building programmes to catalyse the process: programmes that have support within the Government and across parliaments.

We aim to create a more level playing field for all government delegations taking part in climate negotiations at the international level through our work. That’s why IIED manages the European Capacity Building Initiative (ecbi) workshop programme, which focuses on building the capacity of UNFCCC negotiators from vulnerable developing countries.

The drylands are home to 2.3 billion people and cover about 40% of the Earth’s land surface. They play an important role in trade, tourism, migration and environmental services, such as carbon sequestration. Dryland communities have learnt to exploit their environment, including the cycles of flood and drought, leading sustainable livelihoods. But policymakers hold many misconceptions about drylands, and there are few government policies, investments or planning processes to support dryland communities’ own strategies.