Resources‎ > ‎

Climate Finance Fundamentals

This series of short, introductory briefing on various aspects of climate finance are designed for readers new to the debate on global climate change financing.  In light of the fast pace of developments in climate finance, the briefs allow the reader to gain a better understanding of the quantity and quality of financial flows going to developing countries.

The briefs outline the principles of public climate finance; the emerging global climate finance architecture; and address the instruments, needs and actual funding amounts in the action areas of adaptation, mitigation and forest protection (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, REDD-plus).  Several look specifically at the climate funding situation for specific regions of the world.

1. The principles and criteria of public climate finance – a normative framework

4. Mitigation finance

  • Mitigation financeAuthors: Alice Caravani and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America
  • This Brief describes the funds that have been created by industrialized countries to finance emission reductions in developing countries and examines how these funds can work with private capital to secure the level of funding needed.

2011 - English (PDF, 174kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 499kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 497kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 101kb)
2010 - en español (PDF, 134kb)

7. Regional briefing: Sub-Saharan Africa

  • Climate finance regional briefing: Sub-Saharan AfricaAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, Alice Caravani and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek Heinrich Böell Stiftung

  • Africa is the region that has contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions but is the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. It is estimated that the total cost of Africa’s adaptation to climate change will be between $10-30 billion a year by 2030.

2011 - English (PDF, 328kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 525kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 531kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 121kb)

10. Gender and climate finance


2. The evolving global climate finance architecture

  • The evolving global climate finance architectureAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, Alice Caravani, and Allister Wenzel, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America
  • This Brief investigates the evolution of climate finance, describing the main actors and initiatives that have been active to-date.

2011 - English (PDF, 190kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 748kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 663kb)
2010 - in English (PDF, 125kb)
2010 - en español (PDF, 143kb)

5. REDD-plus finance

  • REDD-plus financeAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, and Alice Caravani, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America
  • REDD-plus finance has received a lot of attention over the last years.  This Brief describes the funding initiatives in support of this major international mitigation strategy and raises some ongoing challenges for the equitable delivery of climate finance.

2011 - English (PDF, 174kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 444kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 489kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 104kb)
2010 - en español (PDF, 150kb)

8. Regional briefing: Asia-Pacific

  • Climate finance regional briefing: Asia and the PacificAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, Alice Caravani, and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America with research assistance from Allister Wenzel and Maria Apergi
  • Asia is the largest continent and has the world’s most expansive Ocean – the Pacific – on its margins. It is also the region that has received the most international climate funding, which so far has concentrated on supporting mitigation activities. 

2011 - English (PDF, 200kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 507kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 562kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 105kb)

11. The design of the Green Climate Fund


3. Climate finance thematic briefing - Adaptation Finance

  • Adaptation FinanceAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, Alice Caravani and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek Heinrich Böell Stiftung
  • This Brief looks at the challenge for the international community to ensure adequate levels of funding for adaptation activities in vulnerable developing countries.

2011 - English (PDF, 334kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 470kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 424kb)
2010 - in English (PDF, 102kb)
2010 - en español (PDF, 141kb)

6. Regional briefing: Latin America

  • Climate finance regional briefing: Latin AmericaAuthors: Alice Caravani, Smita Nakhooda, and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America
  • This Brief describes international climate finance that is being channelled to countries in Latin America to fund national climate change actions .  It looks at funding across the major themes of adaptation, mitigation and REDD-plus, as well as identifying the principal actors within the region.
2011 - English (PDF, 175kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 455kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 415kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 98kb)
2010 - en español (PDF, 133kb)

9. Regional briefing: Middle East & North Africa

  • Climate finance regional briefing: Middle East and North AfricaAuthors: Smita Nakhooda, Alice Caravani, and Neil Bird, Overseas Development Institute and Liane Schalatek, Heinrich Böll Stiftung North America with research support from Allister Wenzel and Maria Apergi
  • The Middle East and North Africa is a region that is both vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and shares some responsibility for such change, as measured in terms of per capita emissions. International public sources that fund climate change projects in the region are extremely scarce. 
2011 - English (PDF, 191kb)
2011 - en español (PDF, 422kb)
2011 - en français (PDF, 424kb)
2010 - English (PDF, 128kb)