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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Mar 23.
Published in final edited form as: Glob Environ Polit. 2013 Feb;13(1):49–68. doi: 10.1162/GLEP_a_00153

Table 1.

Principles of Adaptation Funding Justice in UNFCCC Texts versus Current Practice

Principle of Adaptation Finance Justice Related Articles and Decisions of the Conference of Parties Political Reality of Adaptation Finance
1. BALANCE: “Affirms that … Adaptation must be ad- dressed with the same priority as mitigation and requires appropriate institutional arrangements to enhance adaptation action and support;” CP. 16 2 (b)*
CP. 16 IV (a) 95
IMBALANCE:
  • Finance to developing countries for mitigation has been far greater than that for adaptation (“The Gap”)

2. “The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of human-kind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. 3.1*
CP. 16 I.1
CP. 16 II (14)
NO AGREEMENT ON FAIR BURDEN-SHARING:
  • No consistent or transparent allocation formula for developed country adaptation finance commitments

  • Developed countries have been unwilling to discuss adaptation finance in terms of “responsibility” or “capability” (“The Gap”)

3. PRECAUTION: “The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. 3.3*
4.4
4.8
NOT PRECAUTIONARY:
  • Finance pledges represent movement towards a precautionary approach; however levels of funding are inadequate to meet developing country needs (“The Gap”)

4. PREDICTABLE, ADEQUATE, NEW AND ADDITIONAL:Decides that, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, scaled-up, new and additional, predictable and adequate funding shall be provided to developing country Parties, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change” CP. 13 1. (e)
CP. 13 1. (i)
CP. 16 2. (d)
CP. 16 II (18)
CP. 16 IV (a) 97*
NOT PREDICTABLE, ADEQUATE, NOR CLEARLY NEW OR ADDITIONAL:
  • Pledges made by developed countries represents a step towards scaling up climate finance

  • Likely that adaptation finance is not new or additional to existing Official Development Assistance

  • Adaptation finance is not adequate for meeting basic developing country needs related to climate change

  • Due to a lack of transparency and uncertainty about future adaptation finance provisions, funding levels are highly unpredictable (“The Gap”)

5. NEEDS-BASED TARGETING OF FUNDS: Parties shall be guided by “The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change …” 3.2*
4.4
4.8
4.9
CP. 13 1. (i)
CP. 16 II (11)
CP. 16 IV (a) 95
NO AGREED ALLOCATION PROTOCOL:
  • Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and African countries are considered as the “particularly vulnerable Parties”; however, there is increasing controversy about which Parties should be included in this group and how vulnerability should be assessed for the allocation of adaptation funds (“The Wedge”)

6. TRANSPARENT, RECIPIENT AND SCIENCE-LED ALLOCATION AND GOVERNANCE CONSIDERS ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE GROUPS:Affirms that enhanced action on adaptation should be undertaken in accordance with the Convention, should follow a country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory and fully transparent approach taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, and should be based on and guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional and indigenous knowledge …” CP. 16 II (12)*
CP. 16 II (20) a
CP. 16 IV (a) 100, 103,
NOT COUNTRY-DRIVEN:
  • The National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) for Least Developed Countries represents an attempt at a country driven approach to adaptation planning and funding; however, less than a quarter of NAPA projects have been funded

  • COP and Kyoto Funds created with the intent of facilitating a country-driven and participatory approach have received about 1% of climate funds

  • No evidence that adaptation finance has been sensitive to the particular needs of women or other marginalized groups

  • Limited transparency in adaptation finance—inconsistent reporting disallows summing and comparison (“The Dodge”)

*

Refers to the Decision quoted in left column.