The 2011 Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Partnership Forum took place from 24-25 June 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa. With CIF support, 45 developing countries are piloting transformations in clean technology, sustainable management of forests, increased energy access through renewable energy, and climate-resilient development.

The Climate Investment Funds Partnership Forum was organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank, in collaboration with other multilateral development bank (MDB) partners. It brought together approximately 450 participants, including representatives of governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, United Nations agencies, indigenous peoples and the private sector.

The aim of the 2011 Partnership Forum was to provide an opportunity for CIF stakeholders to: share their experiences of how the CIF are working in their countries; exchange lessons learned about what is most effective and discuss how the CIF can be expanded or improved; share on-the-ground achievements, challenges and knowledge; and help other CIF stakeholders apply lessons learned. The Forum also aimed to: raise awareness of the CIF and the country selection process; provide feedback to the CIF governing bodies; and identify opportunities for further stakeholder participation.

The Forum included: plenary sessions featuring stakeholder perspectives, experiences and reflections on CIF strategic directions, results and impacts; and panel discussions on ways to maximize the CIF’s impact at the country and sectoral levels. In addition, participants convened in a civil society organization (CSO) panel and eight breakout sessions on issues related to: private sector engagement in adaptation; climate-smart mobility; promoting clean technology manufacturing; innovative partnerships; climate modeling; financing transformation; wind energy; and working as partners at the country level. Participants also heard messages from pilot country meetings and presentations on lessons learned. A learning symposium on the latest developments in climate science was held, as well as a poster session showcasing evolving CIF programs and projects in the CIF 45 pilot countries. The Forum was preceded by meetings of the: pilot countries of the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP), Forest Investment Program (FIP) and Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR); Clean Technology Fund (CTF) countries; SREP Sub-Committee; CTF Trust Fund Committee; and Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) Sub-Committee. In addition, CSO consultations for observer constituencies convened prior to the Forum. 

Check the timeline on the development of the CIF.

Messages from Pilot Country Meetings

The Pilot Program for Climate Resilience aims to demonstrate ways to integrate climate risk and resilience into core development planning, whiles complementing other ongoing activities. Nine countries (3 of them are African: Mozambique, Niger, Zambia) and two regions (Caribbean and Pacific) were selected to participate in the program.

The pilot programs implemented under the PPCR are:

• country led;
• build on National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) and other relevant country studies and strategies;
• complement the existing adaptation funding and be supportive of the emerging operations of the Adaptation Fund; and
• support actions that are both an outcome of a comprehensive planning process and consistent with the countries' development and poverty reduction goals.  

Under the PPCR two types of investments are supported: 

1) Funding for technical assistance to enable developing countries to build upon existing national work to integrate climate resilience into national and sectoral development plans.
2) Funding public and private sector investments indentified in national or sectoral development plans or strategies and addressing climate resilience.

Eexpectations of a PPCR program include:

•    an increased capacity to integrate climate resilience into country development strategies
•    a more inclusive approach to climate resilient growth and development;
•    an increased awareness of the potential impact of climate change;
•    scaled-up investment for broader interventions and programming related to climate resilience; and
•    improved coordination among stakeholders regarding country-specific climate resilient programs.

Patricia Bliss-Guest, Program Manager, CIF Administrative Unit, summarized the messages from pilot country meetings, highlighting:

• ensuring leadership, country coordination and country ownership;
• prioritizing when determining where to allocate CIF resources;
• building social capital, such as enhancing climate change literacy;
• engaging local consultants in order to build capacity and benefit from local and traditional knowledge;
• engaging with stakeholders in the design process;
• creating incentives to engage the private sector; and
• financing.

Emerging Lessons: On emerging lessons from CTF programming, Bliss-Guest underscored:

• aligning CIF investment plans with development strategies;
• removing barriers;
• coordinating with other development partners;
• creating avenues for the private sector and other stakeholders to contribute to the design of investment plans; and
• ensuring adequate time for meaningful outreach and consultations.

On PPCR programming, she emphasized messages related to:

• the steep learning curve in understanding the impacts of climate change and the priority actions to be taken;
• the need for adaptive management by all partners;
• the role of strong leadership;
• the need for information at the grassroots level;
• the importance of engaging stakeholders, which may require different approaches; and
• the existence of differing circumstances and priorities, and definitions of transformational change, among countries.

On governance, Bliss-Guest highlighted:

• the speedy and efficient governance structure of the CIF;
• the important responsibility of committee members;
• suitability of an equitable governance structure;
• experiences from programs and pilot countries, which should inform Committees;
• enhancement of Committees as a result of stakeholder involvement ; and
• the potential for growth and improvement.

On the Expert Groups, she emphasized the following:

• Expert Groups effectively assisted Sub-Committees;
• guidance for Expert Groups was useful but more guidance was needed on expected output;
• Expert Groups were strengthened by diverse expertise, and, working within a tight timeframe, had to rely heavily on collective knowledge and experience;
• more extensive information from potential pilot countries would have facilitated selection; and
• the Expert Groups’ mandate was limited to recommendations on country selection, so providing advice on resources and investment was not allowed.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CLIMATE INVESTMENT FUNDS

Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse impacts expected on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity, natural resources and physical infrastructure. It is expected to disproportionately affect developing countries, especially the poor, thus making climate change a central consideration in poverty reduction and development efforts. Recognizing this, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change acknowledges the need to provide additional financial resources to developing countries in order to help them mitigate and manage the challenges posed by climate change. It was in this context that the CIF were established.

The CIF are comprised of two Funds, each with its own specific scope, objective and governance structure: the CTF; and the SCF. The CTF provides scaled-up financing for the demonstration, deployment and transfer of low-carbon technologies that have the potential to achieve long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions. Among other things, it funds low-carbon programs and projects that are contained in countries’ national plans and strategies. The SCF supports developing country efforts to achieve climate-resilient, low-carbon development. It operates through targeted programs with dedicated funding to pilot new approaches to climate action that have the potential to achieve scaled-up, transformational action. Each of the target programs is aimed at a specific climate change challenge or sectoral response. The three targeted programs under the SCF are: the PPCR, which helps countries mainstream climate resilience into development planning; the FIP, which aims, inter alia, to support efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation by financing efforts to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and to promote sustainable forest management; and the SREP, which aims to help low income countries exploit their renewable energy potential and move towards low-carbon energy paths.

So far, donor countries have pledged US$6.5 billion to the CIF, to be disbursed as grants, highly concessional loans and/or risk mitigation instruments, and administered, through country-led programs and investments, by the AfDB, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank. 45 developing countries are currently taking climate action with the support of the CIF.

The CIF Partnership Forum was introduced as a central element of the CIF process to help ensure effective lesson sharing and the full engagement of all stakeholders in the CIF process in an inclusive, transparent and strategic manner. In October 2008, an initial CIF Partnership Forum was held at World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC, to begin the Forum process, as the structure of the CIF was still being formed and refined. This first Forum provided, among other things, an early opportunity to explore how best to promote dialogue and open exchange on various aspects of the CIF and set the stage for convening the Forum on a regular basis.

2012 CIF PARTNERSHIP FORUM will take place in 2012, and will be co-hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the CIF.