Climate change blogs
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Why low-carbon urban development in African cities makes economic sense
1 April 2016City governments in East Africa are grappling with rapid urbanisation and widespread poverty. Pursuing low-carbon urban development could offer a many of benefits
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Ten lessons on community-based adaptation
16 March 2016Ahead of the 10th conference on community-based adaptation (CBA10), to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh this year, Saleemul Huq highlights some of the lessons learned from organising these events
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An opportunity for LDC leadership
3 March 2016As Christiana Figueres stands down as executive secretary to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, IIED director Andrew Norton argues the time is right for an LDC representative to take the reins
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A diplomatic approach to raising climate ambition
19 February 2016Veteran climate negotiator and Gambian Minister Pa Ousman Jarju reflects on the Paris Agreement and the continued need for diplomacy and ambitious climate action
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The Paris Agreement – a framework for local inclusion
5 February 2016The Paris Agreement commits governments to climate action. To deliver this agenda successfully, they must engage with all sectors of society, including indigenous peoples, and recognise traditional knowledge
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What's happening to aid to the Least Developed Countries?
18 January 2016New figures show an overall decline in aid to the world's Least Developed Countries, yet commitments made in Paris and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda call for more aid, not less
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Comparing approaches to riverbank vulnerability in Indonesia
8 January 2016What lessons can be learned from two markedly different cases of vulnerability among urban riverbank settlements in Indonesia?
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2016 – when global meets local in climate action
4 January 2016Building on the historic agreement forged in Paris, IIED's director Andrew Norton looks at the opportunities to ensure global agreements on the need for sustainable development reach the local level
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A symbolic victory on 1.5 degrees for LDC Group in Paris
18 December 2015The text of the Paris Agreement, finalised after four years of negotiations culiminating in COP21, represents a significant victory for the Least Developed Countries at the talks – whose specific needs and special situations are often overlooked. How did one of the smallest negotiating groups manage to make their voices heard?
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Tackling deforestation as part of climate action
17 December 2015While world leaders worked towards a new global climate change agreement at COP21 in Paris, 51 practitioners, policymakers and researchers met at a two-day IIED workshop about REDD+ to discuss the key role forests can play in climate change mitigation
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A historic agreement in Paris
14 December 2015A historic agreement on climate change in Paris must drive ambition for climate action post-2015, says IIED director Andrew Norton
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Zero carbon – costs and opportunities for Least Developed Countries
10 December 2015The zero carbon, zero poverty agenda at Development & Climate Days is challenging for all countries. For the Least Developed Countries the costs are high, but the opportunities may be even greater
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Climate finance is vital to secure a future worth having
9 December 2015A key issue dominating the landmark climate summit in Paris is that tricky subject of climate finance: who pays, how much, for what? Some elements of the global discourse on the sums required to tackle the urgent climate change threat seem to think there is a simple distinction to be drawn between choosing to spend money on climate or other development issues. But this simplistic rhetoric is damaging and puts lives at risk
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Mary Robinson: global solidarity needed to confront climate crisis
9 December 2015Development & Climate Days in Paris, France, heard that we are entering a new era in which we must achieve global solidarity for climate justice, CDKN's Mairi Dupar reports
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A new kind of brew: smallholder coffee and carbon
8 December 2015Has shade coffee shed new light on the multiple benefits from improved agricultural systems? Ina Porras blends together a number of thoughts after a side event at the Global Landscape Forum
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Participants in Development & Climate Days focus on "bold action needed now"
6 December 2015More than 200 policymakers, scientists and development practitioners urged immediate and bold climate action on the first day of the 2015 Development & Climate Days
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But, what is the Africa position?
28 November 2015IIED trustee Fatima Denton reflects on Africa's position ahead of COP21 and sees a mix of threat and opportunity
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REDD+ in Paris – what could be in it for people and forests?
27 November 2015Curbing climate emissions means managing and using existing forests, and land sustainably. An IIED workshop in Paris will look at how the programme to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) can be made more effective, while also supporting local communities
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Driving change by supporting action at the local level
24 November 2015A new mapping project highlights the importance of local action in delivering global change
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French lead drive for global climate agreement
17 November 2015There is much debate as to whether the Paris climate summit can deliver an adequate response to the challenge of climate change. In the wake of the tragedy of last Friday's attacks in the French capital, Andrew Norton pays tribute to France's efforts to secure an ambitious agreement and hopes for success
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Message to Secretary of State John Kerry: a legally binding treaty in Paris is essential
13 November 2015In response to comments from the US Secretary of State, Achala Abeysinghe sets out nine key reasons why the Paris climate agreement must be legally binding
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The road through Paris: key messages for ministers
9 November 2015As ministers from 80 countries gather in Paris for pre-meetings ahead of COP21, Achala Abeysinghe sets out a clear direction of travel for them to follow
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Getting Green Climate Funding to the local level
28 October 2015As the Green Climate Fund meets to select projects for funding, is the current funding criteria prioritising a business as usual approach?
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Will new leadership boost Canadian contribution to global climate negotiations?
21 October 2015As Prime Minister Trudeau prepares to represent his country at the G20 and COP21, will he bring Canada's climate and environment polices in from the cold?
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Climate negotiations: the last stop before Paris
19 October 2015As climate talks ahead of COP21 start in Bonn, Achala Abeysinghe says the draft on the table is not strong enough to address climate change, and identifies 11 ways in which it can be strengthened