Natural Resource Management

This CTI PFAN Background Paper on Adaptation, which is conceived as an introduction to adaptation to climate change (adaptation) in relation to private sector financing. The paper constitutes the first step of a programme of work engaged by CTI PFAN, which aims to explore a methodology for facilitating private sector investment and finance in adaptation related projects in developing countries, based on the CTI PFAN model, which is already operating successfully to raise investment and financing for technology transfer projects in the sphere of Mitigation.

The report is an effort to inform project developers and policy-makers about the main lessons learned by the BioCarbon Fund while accompanying the development of more than 20 A/R CDM forest projects in 16 countries since it started operations in 2004. It sheds light on opportunities the CDM offers to the forestry sector and also on the challenges encountered by project developers when complying with the regulatory requirements.

The report provides an overview of climate finance instruments that can be used to support changes in smallholding practices and an assessment of how these instruments can be linked to mitigation actions. The conclusion of the report is that climate finance can be used as an instrument to overcome barriers to smallholders' adoption of sustainable agricultural practices by accessing new funds, designing new disbursement mechanisms, and forging new partnerships. The report was prepared for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.

The report examines the finance and risk-related obstacles that hinder smallholders from participating in carbon finance mechanisms and suggests a framework for prioritizing and aggregating smallholders to achieve mitigation at scale. The author submits that smallholders can play a significant role in the mitigation of climate change. This is supported by identifying eight potential sources of funding for smallholder activities and examining risks that smallholders face on a daily basis, compounded by climate change.

The guidebook is divided into sections on the role of climate change finance in the context of agricultural development and poverty reduction, and a guide to developing soil carbon sequestration crediting projects. Highlighting the interest in climate-smart agriculture, the guidebook describes opportunities that provide food security and mitigation benefits, but stress that concerns remain over the ability to monitor and report on soil carbon emissions.

This guide has been assembled for extension services and institutions working with smallholders to support them in their advisory role on developments of the carbon markets and financial mechanisms. It aims to enhance knowledge on carbon finance and facilitate the integration of small-scale farmers into AFOLU mitigation activities. The participation of these farmers allows them to be involved in the development and implementation of the project, influence its design to generate positive impacts for the farmers and increase their knowledge about climate change mitigation and carbon finance.

This customised ArcGIS 9.3.1 toolbox has been developed at UNEP-WCMC for REDD+ multiple benefits analyses. It provides both novice and experienced GIS users with a series of analysis tools to help identify, map and understanding the spatial relationship between ecosystem carbon stocks, other ecosystem services, biodiversity, land-use and pressures on natural resources. The resolution of the analysis is defined by the user.

This paper provides an overview of the concept of direct access to funding for climate change actions in developing countries. It focuses on the institutional arrangements that are necessary to facilitate and support direct access and is intended to inform the current and future discussions on direct access modalities, including within the design process for the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The paper begins by looking at what the term ‘direct access’ implies, what it is seeking to achieve, and how it has been defined to-date.

PRECIS is a regional climate modelling system developed by the Hadley Centre at the UK Met Office. It was designed with the intention of being a free resource for scientists in developing countries. PRECIS has been used to assist the development of climate change scenarios in regions around the world, whilst utilising existing climate expertise and improving domestic capacity.

Climate Desk™ is a simulation platform and expert service to support strategic, investment, and policy decisions on climate change. It builds on McKinsey's proprietary greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement cost curve model to deliver insights on the impact and costs of emissions reduction measures across sectors, regions, and technologies. The tool is fee-based but does have discounted subscriptions for governments.