A Climate Policy Nightmare Looms in the USA
Comment by Dennis Tänzler
News publ. 21. May 2018
Tomorrow’s climate finance needs today’s dialogue platforms. Innovate4Climate (I4C), which is organised by the World Bank jointly with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Spanish government, offers exactly this kind of platform.
More than 1800 international actors from the worlds of policy, business, and development cooperation will come together at I4C in Frankfurt from 22 to 24 May to drive forward the development of innovative instruments for climate finance. This year’s event aims to boost private investment, support developing countries in implementing their climate targets, and develop new ideas for market-based and non-market-based climate finance.
At the German national pavilion, more than a dozen initiatives and companies will inform the professionals attending I4C about their activities (see the German Pavilion's brochure). In a multifaceted programme of panel discussions, roundtable talks, and workshops, experts will shed light on current developments and efforts in the areas of carbon markets, emissions trading, green finance and climate finance. Beyond this, the BMU and BMZ are hosting 14 official workshops and six pitch hubs at I4C.
adelphi plays a dual role at Innovate4Climate: first, a project team takes care of coordinating, organising, managing and carrying out the entire exhibition presence of Germany, from stand construction and support for the exhibitors to the implementation and moderation of various events at the stand to the delivery of targeted public relations.
Beyond this, at a variety of events, adelphi’s experts will discuss issues in climate finance from the perspectives of the public sector, private industry, and the local level. Confronting these different points of view makes it clear that global climate protection and adaptation to climate change have to be tackled from many different angles and can only succeed if all of the actors pull together.
Selected events convened by adelphi or with an epxert as speaker:
22 May, 12:10-13:10
Convenor: BMU
Hall Kap Europa - Plateau 1
The event will explore on potential role of non-state actors to support countries to close the ambition gap in the NDCs and how the private sector and Governments could work more closely to ensure alignment with the emerging Paris Rule Book, and what legal arrangements are needed to make actions transparent and additional. Dennis Tänzler (adelphi) will introduce the event with an overview about most recent insights on the market potential of the voluntary market in Germany which are also discussed with respect to the global prospects in this area. Please find more information on this workshop on the Innovate4Climate website.
22 May, 15:00-15:45
Convenor: International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP)
German Pavilion
In this panel discussion we aim to explore worldwide trends in offset programs to see how they are being integrated with domestic carbon markets to help governments meet climate goals and other domestic objectives. Jurisdictions across the Americas and Asia are forging ahead with domestic carbon pricing policies, such as emissions trading systems and carbon taxes, which also enable credits from offset projects to be generated, traded and used. The discussion will highlight how innovative offset programs are being developed in different domestic contexts, and delve into the economic, political and practical considerations that will shape their prospects in the coming years.
Alexander Eden of ICAP will introduce some of the broad trends and political considerations that are shaping offset policy. This will be followed by insights from Jeff Swartz, Director of Climate Policy & Carbon Markets at South Pole, who will uncover the range of approaches being followed across the Americas. Also joining the discussion, Kyu-uk Lee, researcher at Carbon Expert Group in the Republic of Korea, will outline the promising potential for international offsets in the Korean Emissions Trading System (KETS). Expect the audience to join an engaging discussion in the relaxed atmosphere of the German Pavilion.
More events of International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) at Innovate4Climate 2018.
23 May, 12.00-12.45
Speaker: Rainer Agster (adelphi)
German Pavilion, Level 2
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many countries’ economies. This means they also have a crucial role to play in the shift towards a low-carbon economy. “There are already a lot of SMEs that want to push ahead with climate protection”, says Rainer Agster, Director of Private Sector Cooperation at adelphi. “However, there is still a lack of suitable finance instruments, especially for companies in emerging economies and developing countries. This means that appropriate financing options for across-the-board implementation of climate-friendly technologies and practices must be created,” Agster explains. At his event at the German Pavilion, Rainer Agster is advocating for better financing for SMEs’ climate-related efforts. Together with the audience, he would like to discuss how the role of SMEs in climate transformation can be further strengthened. He will point out the hurdles to financing climate innovation, and will offer answers to the following crucial questions: how can the potential of climate-friendly business solutions be realized more fully? How can we replicate these solution, and especially how can new financing mechanisms be created in order to strengthen the impact of these sustainable business models? A Q&A session where the audience can join in discussing these and other questions will follow.
24 May, 10.00-10.30
Speaker: Rainer Agster (adelphi), Susann Mende (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Pitch Hub, Exhibition, Level 2
The implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) demands comprehensive and innovative climate finance – from both the public and the private sectors. What possibilities exist for climate finance and which climate investments create the maximum impact? Working together with GIZ’s “Climate Finance Readiness” programme, adelphi has designed two different trainings that offer an overview of climate finance options for political decision-makers at the national and local levels (CliFiT) as well as for experts in specific sectors (CliFiT4SE). In their pitch, Rainer Agster (adelphi) and Susann Mende (GIZ) will demonstrate how the two trainings can contribute to scaling climate measures by helping familiarise decision-makers and experts in specific sectors with possibilities for climate finance..
24 May, 12.00-12.30
Speaker: Annica Cochu (adelphi)
Pitch Hub, Exhibition, Level 2
The lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions are generated in cities. At the same time, urban regions are especially vulnerable to the consequences of climate change – and cities often face major challenges in procuring the financial resources needed for adaptation to climate change. “Even today there are shortages when it comes to financing infrastructure,” says Annica Cochu, Project Manager at adelphi. “The situation will only get worse unless public and private players make joint efforts to close this funding gap.” In a 2017 study, Cochu examined the challenges and opportunities for climate finance in Durban and Santiago de Chile. In her pitch, Cochu will get to the bottom of questions such as: What climate measures exist and who is responsible for carrying them out? What financing and, potentially, business models are there? How can the private sector participate and what are the next major steps?
We would be delighted to talk to you at Innovate4Climate! Please visit adelphi at our stand in the German Pavilion or speak with experts at our events.