Policy paper

Wilton Park conference on addressing humanitarian needs and famine risks: the role of climate finance, Chair’s summary

Published 4 August 2023

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

Introduction

As climate change impacts continue to accelerate in frequency and intensity, they contribute to increasing vulnerability and humanitarian crisis, and worsen food insecurity globally, particularly when combined with the specific challenges faced by fragile and conflict-affected states. The FCDO, in conjunction with Wilton Park, hosted an event on the role of International Climate Adaptation Finance in addressing the underlying climate-related drivers of humanitarian need.

Participants from the governments of Somalia and Niger, climate and humanitarian communities, climate finance contributor governments, climate funds, members of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, Multilateral Development Banks, humanitarian agencies, and representatives from civil society discussed how to:

1. Improve access to climate adaptation finance for fragile and conflict-affected states with high levels of humanitarian need, including those hosting refugees, noting the challenges and low levels of access currently, and;

2. Enhance the technical and institutional capacity of actors in those states, including national governments and local actors, to enable their readiness to absorb, better leverage, and make the most effective use of climate finance to improve people’s resilience and ability to cope with humanitarian impacts and food insecurity, and address the long-term climate risks that generate recurrent humanitarian needs.

In support of these objectives, conference participants were presented with the contexts in 2 focus countries, identified crosscutting common themes and proposed a number of recommendations to respond to, and meet, these challenges. Discussions are captured in the Wilton Park narrative report and were summarised at a high-level closing roundtable.

At the conference, participants agreed on the urgency and importance of addressing identified issues and constraints. Across the discussions, the following were identified as a set of non-exhaustive recommendations, which can feed into, and inform, the delivery of events leading up to COP28, as well as outcomes, related to the planned Health, Relief, Recovery, and Peace Day. Participants noted that there should be further discussion on the implementation of these recommendations, and will use opportunities throughout the year to make incremental progress.

Alongside a broad set of recommendations to be considered by all attendees, the conference also noted and welcomed a number of specific recommendations to be considered by key participating agencies.

Agency-specific recommendations

The Government of Somalia committed to:

Producing a National Adaptation Plan to articulate its adaptation priorities and complete its Nationally Determined Contribution implementation plan ahead of COP28. As the National Designated Authority, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will continue to coordinate across government, with accredited agencies and contributors, for the identification of adaptation priorities and delivery of adaptation activities within the timeframe of change needed for Somalia.

Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance to:

• develop country-level initiatives that are inclusive of vulnerable communities in one or more fragile or conflict affected settings to improve climate finance access, and share lessons on how this model can be taken up by other countries with high levels of humanitarian need
• continue to work with key partners and identify new ones, including bilateral and multilateral contributors across the climate, humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding systems, to improve access to climate finance for climate-vulnerable developing countries and their capacity to use it effectively and reach those furthest behind

The aims and objectives of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance should be further supported through a new UK-backed Centre for Access to Climate Finance, to be launched at COP28.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is committed to:

• improving access to GCF resources for developing countries by improving the predictability, speed, simplicity, and complementarity of climate finance
• maintaining a 50:50 balance over time between adaptation and mitigation funding
• addressing urgent and immediate adaptation and resilience needs by allocating at least 50% of its adaptation programming to particularly vulnerable countries and working with partners to reach vulnerable people in fragile and conflict affected areas

World Bank to:

Continue to support fragile and conflict-affected states, and all client countries, to implement climate adaptation. This would include solutions to accelerate climate actions and finance in fragile and conflict affected areas, recognising the particular challenges in Fragility, Conflict, and Violence (FCV) contexts, build the resilience of local communities to climate change impacts, in line with policy and operational guidance outlined in the Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs).

African Development Bank to:

Continue to work with climate-vulnerable countries, in particular those that are fragile and conflict-affected and with high humanitarian needs, to deliver a strong set of impactful projects through the Climate Action Window and the Transition Support Window, having demonstrated leadership in investing in adaptation and resilience in Africa by committing more than 60% of its climate finance to adaptation and resilience.

Overseas Development Institute (ODI) with support of UK government to:

Develop a guidance note following the Wilton Park conference on how humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management programming can act in synergy for increased impact and effectiveness and to better address climate risks.

UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to:

Support efforts to increase finance for agri-food sector solutions including in humanitarian crises, considering that vulnerable farmers, herders and fishers are among the most heavily impacted by climate variability and climate-related hazards.

Joint recommendations

The Chair noted, from the discussions, the following set of broader recommendations and actions to be addressed and considered by all other relevant actors, in events, action and delivery, for the lead up to, and at, COP28:

• contribute to developing a plan of action, guidance, capacity strengthening and programmatic solutions to accelerate climate action and finance to climate-vulnerable countries and communities in fragile and conflict-affected settings, and to support the design of deliverables in the run up to COP28 in this space

• support national governments, civil society organisations, and communities to push for more funding for climate action, leveraging climate finance for adaptation outcomes that: recognise the particular challenges and constraints in climate-vulnerable countries with high levels of humanitarian need; deliver with diverse actors and are inclusive of vulnerable communities, including those that have been displaced; and note certain exceptions in the cases of governments that are parties to conflict or have high corruption rates

• commit to further refining and later implementing the Principles and Recommendations (PDF, 642 KB) on enhancing access of the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance, and consider where updates could be necessary to ensure relevance to states with high humanitarian need

• commit to pursuing more effective coordination across climate, development, humanitarian and peacebuilding activities, maximising the opportunity to mainstream adaptation action across sectors, including health and education, and forming equal operational partnerships on the ground in humanitarian contexts, including those facing protracted conflict, and consider the principles of additionality, do no harm, complementarity, and non-duplication of existing instruments and coordination structures

• commit to leveraging and accelerating financial support and innovative technical solutions from the private sector and foundations to assist in the scaling up of climate action in fragile and conflict settings

• adopt, deepen and take to scale inclusive, equitable, and locally led climate approaches, which enable meaningful participation and innovation by women and girls, LGTBQIA+, and marginalised groups including older people, people with disabilities, displaced people, stateless people, and indigenous people, through leveraging networks and leadership at all stages of project identification, design and implementation. These efforts will support localisation initiatives by examining conflict and power dynamics that are underlying

• work to ensure affected populations, including those outside government reach or control, are not left behind by resilience and adaptation interventions, particularly in conflict-affected settings, through supporting initiatives such as risk mapping, climate finance readiness programmes, training, and capacity building, at subnational and community level

• incorporate conflict-sensitive expertise and peacebuilding, as well as gender and child rights expertise, and local and indigenous knowledge, in designing and delivering climate change interventions in conflict-affected and fragile areas and provide tailored support at country level in the development of project proposals

• support the full and rapid delivery of the G7/V20 Global Shield against Climate Risk, scaling up Disaster Risk Finance and pre-agreed finance for climate-vulnerable and fragile countries. Ensure that this work includes a focus on strengthened delivery mechanisms, including shock responsive social protection systems and increased DRF for humanitarian agencies, including International Non-Governmental Organisations, where fragile and conflict-affected states are unable or unwilling to lead early action

• support efforts to strengthen local and national capacity for Early and Anticipatory Action and development of Early Warning Systems that provide timely and accurate information to people, communities, and households on climate-related risks in fragile and conflict affected areas through initiatives such as: Risk Informed Early Action Partnerships (REAP), Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the UNSG’s Early Warnings For All (EW4ALL), and relevant pooled funds, such as Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) with local and national reach

• support efforts to integrate anticipatory approaches within disaster risk management and climate change adaptation policies, plans, and financial instruments at global, national, and local levels

• commit to endorsing, enacting, and taking to scale in practice the Principles for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA Principles), drawing on learning and evidence, including from The LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE-AR)

• increase investments, including from climate finance, in core and shock responsive gender and child sensitive social protection systems, strengthening and expanding coverage as part of the development of Early Action infrastructure and to build the resilience of climate-vulnerable communities

• take steps to maximise opportunities to work with and through nature to build resilience of people and the environment, recognising that the poorest and most vulnerable communities are most dependent on eco-systems and natural resources, and at risk of water and resource insecurity