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Climate Change Policy and Practice
Second UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Workshop on Long-term Finance

1-3 October 2012 | Cape Town, South Africa
Daily web coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)
 
Highlights for Monday, 1 October 2012

The Second UNFCCC Workshop on Long-term Finance opened on Monday, 1 October 2012 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with participants listening to keynote speeches. Via videolink, Sizwe Nxasana, CEO, FirstRand Limited, noted that governments alone cannot make the shift to a low-carbon economy and underlined the importance of involving all stakeholders. He called for regulations and legislation to play an enabling role in driving further investments. Also via video link, Trevor Manuel, Minister in the Presidency, National Planning Commission, South Africa, called for focusing on taxing the “bad carbon emissions,” by putting a price on carbon, establishing carbon trading systems and setting an emissions ceiling.

The first session on scaling-up of climate finance and sources then convened and addressed:the potential of existing, new and innovative sources of climate finance in the short, medium and long term; various approaches and possible strategies for mobilization of scaled-up climate finance from multiple sources; and the potential role of the UNFCCC in unlocking and/or catalyzing climate finance at all levels.

During the presentations, Mattia Romani, London School of Economics and Green Global Growth Institute, stressed that approximately US$50 billion could be raised relatively quickly from public sources with a carbon price of US$20-25, noting the need for international coordination and collaboration with the private sector in order to unlock these sources.

Nick Robins, HSBC, via videolink, stressed that the institutional investor and banking entities have entered as new stakeholders in the discussions on climate finance. He said new regulatory initiatives have not taken into account sustainable development and low-carbon growth, and emphasized the incipient demand for long-term assets.

Three breakout groups then convened to discuss: the sources of climate finance; how to prevent perverse incentives that could lead developed countries to reduce their emission reduction targets; and aviation and maritime sources and subsidies.

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Room view during the opening session
Opening session
Co-Chair Zaheer Fakir, South Africa
Co-Chair Georg Børsting, Norway
Zaheer Fakir with Georg Børsting before the convening of the morning session
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Sizwe Nxasana, CEO, Firstrand Limited, gave a keynote speech through videolink.
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Trevor Manuel, Minister in The Presidency: National Planning Commission, South Africa, gave a keynote speech through videolink.
Session I: Scaling-up of climate finance: Sources
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Nick Robbins, HSBC, gave a presentation through videolink.
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Mattia Romani, LSE and GGGI
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Speakers answered questions posted in real time through Twitter.
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Zaheer Fakir (far right) presents the leaders of the three break out groups. From L-R: Paul Watkinson, France; Fernando Perdigão, Brazil; and Suzanty Sitorus, Indonesia
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A participant looks under his chair for the drawing that will determine which breakout group he should be attending in the afternoon.
Highlights for Tuesday, 2 October 2012

On the second day of the Second Workshop on Long-term Finance, held in Cape Town, South Africa, participants engaged in a session on enhancing enabling conditions (policies and instruments). They heard a presentation by Amal-Lee Amin, Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G), who provided an overview of: available policy instruments to mobilize climate finance; current barriers to catalyzing investments; and the role of public policy finance in mobilizing scaled-up investment. She emphasized the importance of: engaging stakeholders; setting a clear, long-term and coherent policy; providing price signals to incentivize the deployment of low-carbon investments; creating markets to realize the benefits of green growth; and facilitating cross-ministerial coordination.

Three breakout groups then convened in the morning to address: policies and instruments that have the potential to contribute to mobilizing, scaling up and catalyzing new and additional climate finance over the short, medium and long term; and the potential role of the UNFCCC in fostering these policies and policy instruments.

In the afternoon, participants engaged in a session on enhancing enabling conditions (delivery and access) and heard two presentations. Josué Tanaka, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), described the growth of the EBRD’s activities since the launch of the Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI) in 2006, highlighting that activities include industrial energy efficiency investments, sustainable energy financing facilities, power sector and municipal infrastructure energy efficiency, and renewable energy project financing.

Mafalda Duarte, African Development Bank, presented on long-term finance in Africa, highlighting a concentrated solar project (CSP) in Morocco. She explained that Morocco’s solar agency will receive concessional financing and grants for the project and a large subsidy would be required to cover incremental costs.

Three breakout groups then convened to: explore design elements of international climate finance architecture that exhibit scalability and replicable features for current and future climate actions/funds; and discuss the potential role that the UNFCCC can play in creating a more conducive enabling environment.

Session II: Enhancing Enabling Conditions: Policies and Instruments
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Co-Chair Zaheer Fakir, South Africa
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Co-Chair Georg Børsting, Norway
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Amal-Lee Amin, E3G, presented on policy instruments to mobilize finance
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Co-Chair Zaheer Fakir, South Africa; Co-Chair Georg Børsting, Norway
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Bernarditas Muller, the Philippines, during the Q&A session
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Monica Araya, Costa Rica, during the discussions
David Kaluba, Zambia
Luis Gonzales, Chile
Pak Sum Low, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
Highlights for Wednesday, 3 October 2012

On the third and final day of the Second Workshop on Long-term Finance, in the morning, participants heard reports back to plenary from the facilitators of the nine breakout groups, which were held on Monday and Tuesday, and that focused on sources of climate finance, policies and instruments for creating enabling environments, and enabling environments that enhance delivery of and access to finance. The reports focused on, inter alia: the definition of what can be counted as climate finance; potential sources of finance and key issues that have hampered progress their mobilization; increasing private sector involvement; support for adaptation; and the role of the UNFCCC in unlocking sources.

During the closing session, Co-Chair Georg Børsting (Norway) thanked the Secretariat and participants for their contribution to, and active engagement in, the workshop. He provided an overview of the mandate of the work programme and summarized the outcomes of the first workshop on long-term finance. Co-Chair Zaheer Fakir (South Africa) outlined some of the second workshop’s achievements, highlighting: enhanced collective understanding on mobilizing climate finance; increased institutional knowledge on climate finance issues; valuable knowledge sharing; and the engagement of experts. He stated that the kind of leadership required in the climate finance area is one that is based on “inspiration, not domination,” and on “cooperation not intimidation.” Fakir closed the workshop at 12:50 pm.

Reports to plenary from the breakout group facilitators
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Paul Watkinson, France
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Fernando Perdigão, Brazil
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Suzanty Sitorus, Indonesia
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Slide from the presentation of the "elephant" breakout group on sources
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Athena Ronquillo-Ballesteros, World Resources Institute
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Gregory Andrews, Australia
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Pak Sum Low, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
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Co-Chair Zaheer Fakir, South Africa; Co-Chair Georg Børsting, Norway
Jukka Uosukainen, Finland
Cristina Colon, UNDP
Smita Nakhooda, Overseas Development Institute
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Participants commenting on the reports from the breakout groups
 
Daily web coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)
 
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Related Links
UNFCCC resources
*Workshop website and presentations
*Provisional programme for the Workshop
*Long-term Finance website
*First workshop on long-term finance website and documents, 9-11 July 2012, Bonn, Germany

IISD RS resources
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*IISD RS coverage of the Bonn Climate Change Conference - May 2012, 14-25 May 2012, Bonn, Germany
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*IISD RS coverage of the Fifth Global Business Day, 5 December 2011, Durban, South Africa
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*IISD RS coverage of Forest Day 5, 4 December 2011, Durban, South Africa
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*IISD RS coverage of Development and Climate Days at COP 17, 3-4 December 2011, Durban, South Africa
*IISD RS coverage of the Durban Climate Change Conference - November 2011, 28 November - 11 December 2011, Durban, South Africa
*IISD RS coverage of Selected Side Events at the Durban Climate Change Conference - November 2011, 28 November - 9 December 2011, Durban, South Africa
*IISD RS Briefing Note of the Fourth meeting of the Transitional Committee for the Design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), 16-18 October 2011, Cape Town, South Africa
*IISD RS coverage of the UN Climate Change Conference October 2011, 1-7 October 2011, Panama City, Panama
*IISD RS coverage of the UN Climate Change Conference June 2011, 6-17 June 2011, Bonn, Germany
*IISD RS coverage of the UN Climate Change Conference Bangkok - April 2011, 3-8 April 2011, UN Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand
*IISD RS coverage of the Cancún Climate Change Conference, 29 November - 11 December 2010, Cancún, Mexico
*IISD RS coverage of Selected Side Events at the Cancún Climate Change Conference, 29 November - 10 December 2010, Cancún, Mexico
*IISD RS archive of meetings on climate change, and backgrounder
*Climate-L - A mailing list for news on climate change policy
*Climate Change Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing Global Climate Change Policy
*Sustainable Energy Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of Sustainable Energy Activities
*Sustainable Development Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of International Activities Preparing for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
*SIDS Policy and Practice - A Knowledgebase on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
*Biodiversity Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing International Biodiversity Policy
*Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news
*African Regional Coverage
*Latin America and Caribbean Regional Coverage
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