Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The wide range of currently available climate change financing is cumbersome
and difficult to work with for administrations with low technical and personnel
capacities. We have found over the years many countries will only begin
preparing project concepts if there is an assurance of funding, the window
however between the assurance and the deadline of submission is usually short
and many for this reason miss a deadline set by the funding agencies. The
complexity of certain funding applications may also work against low capacity
countries, as the focal point may be an expert on the adaptation needs of the
country, but that person does not have all the financial and auditing infor-
mation required by the application. Therefore, having an assured source of
funding without time constraints and perhaps some technical support to write
up applications would be of greater benefit that the current system.
(UNDP, 2012)
The mitigation crisis
As
Chapters 1
,
2
and
3
have suggested, we appear to be heading rapidly down the
road to catastrophic climate change. Without urgent action to reduce greenhouse
gas pollution, the world will face insurmountable adaptation challenges. Oxfam's
experience is that it is the poorest who will be hit first and hit the hardest.
Global emissions have already overcome the 'blip' of the Global Economic
Crisis and set a new record in 2010. The International Energy Agency (IEA)
reported that global emissions in 2010 were five per cent higher than the
previous record set in 2008 (IEA, 2011). This led the Chief Economist at the
IEA, Dr Fatih Birol, to say:
Our latest estimates are another wake-up call. The world has edged
incredibly close to the level of emissions that should not be reached until
2020 if the 2ºC target is to be attained. Given the shrinking room for
manoeuvre in 2020, unless bold and decisive decisions are made very soon, it
will be extremely challenging to succeed in achieving this global goal agreed
upon in Cancun.
(IEA, 2011)
The imperative for action on climate change has never been stronger. However,
wealthy developed countries like Australia are falling behind the rest of the
world - they are simply not contributing their fair share of the effort. As an
example of rich emitters' modest actions, currently Australia's target range for
emissions reduction is between 5-25 per cent (by 2020 on 2000 levels), but at
present the stated position is that only the conditions for a five per cent target
will be met. Oxfam's assessment is that Australia's fair share of global efforts to
keep global warming below 2°C is an emissions reduction target of -40 per cent
below 2000 levels by 2020.
The global dynamics of mitigation effort are shifting. No longer are developed
countries leading the way on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and renewable
