Development and Climate Days 2024: Turning climate ambition into action – confronting uncomfortable truths
Development and Climate Days 2024 (D&C Days) took place on 17 November at COP29 – a day of informal discussion and honest dialogue linking climate change and development
This year's D&C Days will take place in person, in Baku, Azerbaijan, at COP29 (Photo: IIED/D&C Days)
Approaching the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, this one-day event in Baku, Azerbaijan, examined mechanisms for holding key actors accountable for reducing the risk and vulnerability of those most threatened and impacted by the climate crisis.
The event explored ways of disrupting current finance models to ensure that climate funds reach those most in need; reflect on the level of ambition needed to limit global warming; and share game-changing and transformational adaptation ideas, all the while ensuring that partnerships are inclusive and equitable for accelerating climate action.
We created a space where bold initiatives and game-changing solutions could confront the challenges of uncomfortable truths, inertia and slow progress towards meeting the world’s climate goals head-on.
Our focus areas
The event brought together leaders, thinkers and innovators from across the globe united by the challenge of advancing climate action and effecting positive, lasting change. It created a safe space for the uncomfortable yet necessary conversations about the challenges of inaction and shifting the status quo.
Decolonising climate finance
The collective slow action of financial initiatives and institutions, and the reality of historic power imbalances and injustices rooted in colonial legacies that concentrate voices, resources and power in the global North, means that climate finance is not being accessed by those who need it most. Available funding is fragmented, sectoral and restricted – especially for those countries most vulnerable to climate impacts.
How can power and resources shift to the local organisations working on the frontlines? What must be done differently to disrupt the current systems that are failing to deliver climate action and finance at local levels?
Accountability for the Paris goals
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, providing a critical opportunity to reflect on the level of ambition needed to limit global warming. While the issues are political, there are a range of actors and economic disparities rooted in colonial histories, that allow powerful companies in sectors such as finance and energy to dictate the course of climate action, while passing the costs onto vulnerable people who have contributed little to the climate crisis.
D&C Days examined how actors across governments, the private sector, philanthropies, civil society organisations, businesses and academia can be held accountable to take positive steps within their organisations to address climate impacts and reduce the risk and vulnerability of those most affected by the climate crisis.
Game-changing adaption ideas
Many climate change solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting the environment, however there is a lack of ‘paradigm shifting’ solutions for adaption and resilience across finance, policy and practice.
This theme explored innovative approaches to reducing vulnerability, risk and impact, with a focus on building resilience through transformational ideas. It aims to ignite discussions on initiatives that catalyse broader change beyond their immediate areas of implementation, deliver impact at scale, and encourage an inclusive and collaborative approach across sectors.
Central to this exploration was the identification of levers to unlock innovation, enabling the development of 'big ideas' and 'game-changing' solutions for transformation across all climate actors, levels and sectors.
Cross-cutting theme – equitable partnerships
Equitable partnerships are crucial to ensure that all people and organisations – particularly those from marginalised or underrepresented communities – have a fair and meaningful role in decision-making processes around climate action.
This inclusivity helps to create solutions that are not only more just, but also more effective and tailored to the needs of diverse populations. By valuing and integrating local knowledge, equitable partnerships can foster culturally appropriate and context-specific solutions that are more sustainable in the long run.
D&C Days delved into how partnerships can be strengthened to be truly inclusive, equitable, and empowering, sharing risks and accelerating climate action. It also explored the knowledge and practice the global North can learn from the global South in meaningful and equitable ways.
Event coverage
Every session at D&C Days was recorded. Choose your session from the playlist below or on IIED's YouTube channel, while a gallery of photos from the event is on IIED's Flickr channel.
Organising partners
The 2024 event was organised in partnership by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (RCCC), the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Climate Justice Resilience Fund (CJRF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank.
Contributing partners
Contributing partners to this year’s event were ACT Alliance, the Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA), 'Generating Ambition for Locally Led Adaptation' core partners, with funding from the government of the Netherlands and the Least Developed Countries Initiative for Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR).
You can also follow activities and messages from D&C Days on social media via #DCDays24.
Contact
Katherine Shepherd ([email protected]), project manager, IIED's Climate Change research group
