5.4 Results
The assessment concluded that, on average, the 423 projects of Swiss international
cooperation analyzed show “moderate to strong” effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in increasing people’s ability to cope with the impacts of
climate change. Approximately 40 % of the portfolio was found to be strongly or
very strongly effective, both in climate change mitigation (114 projects) and
adaptation (121 projects). Around 50 % of the total portfolio budget was allocated
to interventions assessed as moderately effective (198 projects) in terms of climate
mitigation or adaptation. Only 10 % of the projects showed little or no climate
benefit.
Despite the geographical and cultural diversity of over 70 partner countries
within the portfolio, no difference in effectiveness between the different geographical regions were identified. It has been found that climate effectiveness improved
over time, with higher effectiveness scores of projects implemented after 2007.
Thus the share of adaptation projects rated as highly and very highly effective
increased from 23 to 66 % between the projects implemented in the periods
2000–2006 and 2007–2012. For mitigation, the increase was from 36 to 54 %.
Furthermore, recent projects in the portfolio integrated climate change more
explicitly into project design and the quality of design of these specific interventions improved. Finally, the creation of the SDC Global Programme on Climate
Change and the development of a new thematic priority “Fostering climate-friendly
growth” in SECO are signs of increased strategic importance and institutional
awareness on climate change.
The stock taking exercise did not identify factors of success that are specific for
high climate change mitigation or adaption effectiveness. It rather concluded on
general success factors such as a comprehensive project design, high stakeholder
commitment and ownership, good project management to be a precondition for
highly satisfactory results achievement. At the same time, the report identified
several domains that proved having predominantly positive results. For mitigation
they include the rehabilitation of hydropower plants, improving energy efficiency,
promoting renewable energy and cleaner production, and improved ecosystem
management. Multi-stakeholder forest management projects, biotrade-based conservation and organic farming projects create in addition to mitigation results, in
many cases, also important adaptation benefits. In the adaptation field, Swissfunded interventions in the areas of risk management, disaster risk reduction
(including early warning) and insurance are providing real benefits to large numbers of people in various parts of the world. Swiss contributions to several multilateral institutions show high effectiveness overall (both for mitigation and
adaptation). For example, the results achieved through the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the Partnership for Market Readiness and the UNFCCC
Adaptation Fund are clearly noted, with Switzerland contributing to the results
through its funding alongside expertise and strategic guidance.
88
M. Egger Kissling and R. Windisch
The assessment concluded that, on average, the 423 projects of Swiss international
cooperation analyzed show “moderate to strong” effectiveness in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in increasing people’s ability to cope with the impacts of
climate change. Approximately 40 % of the portfolio was found to be strongly or
very strongly effective, both in climate change mitigation (114 projects) and
adaptation (121 projects). Around 50 % of the total portfolio budget was allocated
to interventions assessed as moderately effective (198 projects) in terms of climate
mitigation or adaptation. Only 10 % of the projects showed little or no climate
benefit.
Despite the geographical and cultural diversity of over 70 partner countries
within the portfolio, no difference in effectiveness between the different geographical regions were identified. It has been found that climate effectiveness improved
over time, with higher effectiveness scores of projects implemented after 2007.
Thus the share of adaptation projects rated as highly and very highly effective
increased from 23 to 66 % between the projects implemented in the periods
2000–2006 and 2007–2012. For mitigation, the increase was from 36 to 54 %.
Furthermore, recent projects in the portfolio integrated climate change more
explicitly into project design and the quality of design of these specific interventions improved. Finally, the creation of the SDC Global Programme on Climate
Change and the development of a new thematic priority “Fostering climate-friendly
growth” in SECO are signs of increased strategic importance and institutional
awareness on climate change.
The stock taking exercise did not identify factors of success that are specific for
high climate change mitigation or adaption effectiveness. It rather concluded on
general success factors such as a comprehensive project design, high stakeholder
commitment and ownership, good project management to be a precondition for
highly satisfactory results achievement. At the same time, the report identified
several domains that proved having predominantly positive results. For mitigation
they include the rehabilitation of hydropower plants, improving energy efficiency,
promoting renewable energy and cleaner production, and improved ecosystem
management. Multi-stakeholder forest management projects, biotrade-based conservation and organic farming projects create in addition to mitigation results, in
many cases, also important adaptation benefits. In the adaptation field, Swissfunded interventions in the areas of risk management, disaster risk reduction
(including early warning) and insurance are providing real benefits to large numbers of people in various parts of the world. Swiss contributions to several multilateral institutions show high effectiveness overall (both for mitigation and
adaptation). For example, the results achieved through the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), the Partnership for Market Readiness and the UNFCCC
Adaptation Fund are clearly noted, with Switzerland contributing to the results
through its funding alongside expertise and strategic guidance.
88
M. Egger Kissling and R. Windisch