countries to build resilience and adapt to climate change through financing projects
and programmes that focus on vulnerable communities. The Green Climate Fund
9
was set up in anticipation of the Paris Agreement to mobilize funding and invest in
low-emission and climate-resilient development. It intends to address both mitigation and adaptation equally. Importantly all these funds and facilities involve
concrete strategies and action by all governments, the private sector, civil society,
as well as individual citizens. But clearly global climate action is not limited to
these funds.
The Paris Agreement fully recognizes what also emerged from the UN Conference on Financing for Development
10 : public funds will not be sufficient to tackle
climate change, not to prevent it nor to adapt to its effects. In this regard publicprivate partnerships and private initiatives are envisaged to play a key role. Governments are invited to ensure an enabling environment and level playing field for
initiatives of the private sector and civil society. These have emerged over the past
decade and include social and environmental impact investing, corporate responsibility to contribute to sustainable development, market oriented social initiatives
and so on. The G8 has published several documents regarding the promise of
impact investing
11 and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
has been instrumental in developing the inclusion of natural resources accounting in
business practices.
12 Civil society initiatives range from fair trade to climate-smart
agricultural practices (the range of initiatives is staggering), as is demonstrated in
the Social Enterprises World Forum.
13
Climate change is a complex issue encompassing physical, technological, institutional, economic, social and political spheres. For a sustainable future for all of
us, it is essential that we identify the best and most suitable measures and make the
right choices for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This is where
evaluation comes in.
1.1 Critical Role of Evaluation
Evaluation is essential for learning and for reflecting on whether we are taking the
right actions for the right things for current and future generations. Evaluation of
climate change policies, mitigation and adaptation actions helps us assess progress
on the complex challenges we are facing. Evaluation also helps us identify what
9 http://www.greenclimate.fund/home
10 See http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ffd3/ – the UN Conference for Financing for Development took
place in Addis Ababa, 13–16 July 2015.
11 See http://www.socialimpactinvestment.org/ for the work sponsored by the G8 on impact
investing.
12 See http://www.wbcsd.org for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
13 See http://sewf2015.org/about-sewf/ for the Social Enterprises World Forum.
1 Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development: Introduction
5
and programmes that focus on vulnerable communities. The Green Climate Fund
9
was set up in anticipation of the Paris Agreement to mobilize funding and invest in
low-emission and climate-resilient development. It intends to address both mitigation and adaptation equally. Importantly all these funds and facilities involve
concrete strategies and action by all governments, the private sector, civil society,
as well as individual citizens. But clearly global climate action is not limited to
these funds.
The Paris Agreement fully recognizes what also emerged from the UN Conference on Financing for Development
10 : public funds will not be sufficient to tackle
climate change, not to prevent it nor to adapt to its effects. In this regard publicprivate partnerships and private initiatives are envisaged to play a key role. Governments are invited to ensure an enabling environment and level playing field for
initiatives of the private sector and civil society. These have emerged over the past
decade and include social and environmental impact investing, corporate responsibility to contribute to sustainable development, market oriented social initiatives
and so on. The G8 has published several documents regarding the promise of
impact investing
11 and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
has been instrumental in developing the inclusion of natural resources accounting in
business practices.
12 Civil society initiatives range from fair trade to climate-smart
agricultural practices (the range of initiatives is staggering), as is demonstrated in
the Social Enterprises World Forum.
13
Climate change is a complex issue encompassing physical, technological, institutional, economic, social and political spheres. For a sustainable future for all of
us, it is essential that we identify the best and most suitable measures and make the
right choices for mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This is where
evaluation comes in.
1.1 Critical Role of Evaluation
Evaluation is essential for learning and for reflecting on whether we are taking the
right actions for the right things for current and future generations. Evaluation of
climate change policies, mitigation and adaptation actions helps us assess progress
on the complex challenges we are facing. Evaluation also helps us identify what
9 http://www.greenclimate.fund/home
10 See http://www.un.org/esa/ffd/ffd3/ – the UN Conference for Financing for Development took
place in Addis Ababa, 13–16 July 2015.
11 See http://www.socialimpactinvestment.org/ for the work sponsored by the G8 on impact
investing.
12 See http://www.wbcsd.org for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
13 See http://sewf2015.org/about-sewf/ for the Social Enterprises World Forum.
1 Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development: Introduction
5