Transparency data

Climate Diplomacy: objectives 2020 to 2021

Updated 24 June 2021

1. Overview

The purpose of the Climate Diplomacy Fund is to support delivery of Climate Diplomacy Policy objectives. The funds creation reflects the FCDO’s position that Climate Change is a foreign policy priority. The upcoming UK Presidency of COP26 has resulted in extensive planning by posts of how they will engage in country and deliver on the strategy for COP26. This funding is intended to help facilitate their plans.

2. Objectives on Climate Diplomacy

The Climate Diplomacy Fund (CDF) is a new non-ODA priority for the International Programme in 2020-21. The objective of the CDF is to build the conditions for an ambitious negotiated outcome at COP 26 and deliver Country Implementation Plans, documents written in 2020 by posts detailing their objectives, delivery plan, communications plan and stakeholder mapping. All sovereign missions were allocated £10,000, with each region receiving a larger amount to be distributed to meet objectives. In our communication with posts since the announcement of this funding, the Climate Diplomacy Unit stated that any activity should contribute to at least one of the Climate Change Policy Objectives:

• build the conditions for a successful negotiated outcome and overall event, with shared expectations at COP26
• deliver stronger sectoral action to accelerate transitions to clean growth in the global economy
• raise partner country ambition through increased national commitments (NDCs) and net zero targets

The projects help support these objectives in country including raising awareness, inclusion and momentum around COP26. Projects underway range from the translation of climate change literature designed to raise awareness among civil society, the use of experts and consultants to support discussions with host governments, and the hosting of webinars and COP26 launch events. Below is a sample of the project proposals:

a) partnering with the British Council to provide a week-long course to generate youth engagement. The ‘Active Citizens’ Course is designed to encourage social action on climate change

b) a local environment NGO will install underwater cameras and information boards in a particular area in order to raise awareness with the public on the marine biodiversity of the area and the human effects of marine life (eg littering plastics in the ocean) and to monitor and enforce illegal activities happening in the area (for divers and fishermen). This will create pressure to make the area a marine nature reserve

c) creation of targeted communications on COP26 activity; improving our ability to engage across civil society and ensure UK is seen as a Small Island Developing States (SIDS) ally and an honest broker ahead of COP26. Post find that the broad nature of climate change and the centrally held content does not resonate with audiences in SIDS. A range of videos and a podcast series are being produced in a way tailored to the region, aimed at increasing engagement with NGOs, civil society and Governments alike

d) partnering with UK consultancy Ricardo to provide support country’s Climate Change Secretariat to compete its NDC, and check forestry data

e) project in conjunction with the Minister of Ecology and a UK based Consultancy Company who help with building Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems. The project will provide a roadmap to the achievement of country’s NDC targets, an essential tool that the country did not hitherto have in place

f) strategic scoping to support the Green Recovery Action Plan from COVID-19. The action plan strengthens UK collaboration with the region, and supports sustainable recovery from Covid-19. The project will help to deliver in the five strategic priority areas, while advancing UK climate change aims. Longer term, this is expected to help shift the perception of countries and institutions as role models on climate change, governments in the region would make choices to recover from Covid-19 in a greener, more sustainable way and the lessons learned will inform the region’s position on key issues such as climate finance and nature-based solutions at COP26

g) Model COP 26 for youth. This project supports the implementation of a virtual model COP26 for youth, organised by environmental NGOs from a regional Youth Organisation. Around 200 students from the region will participate, with the goal of exposing them to climate change issues and international negotiations, motivating them to take action and highlighting to governments in the region the importance of young people’s voices

3. Climate Diplomacy fund budget for financial year 2020 to 2021

The non-ODA budget for the climate diplomacy fund is £2.5 million.