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IFI Energy Investments in Bangladesh: A way forward to SDG 7

March 8, 2018

Bangladesh is one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, yet at the same time it has demonstrated climate leadership, particularly in pioneering solar energy for all. The government has committed to ensuring access to affordable and reliable electricity for all citizens by 2021. This briefing note examines how appropriate lending for energy projects by international financial institutions (IFIs) can help Bangladesh to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and Sustainable Development Goal 7 on universal energy access - and blaze a new sustainable development pathway.

The AIIB's Energy Opportunity: How the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank's energy lending can chart a new path of sustainable development

June 15, 2017

The new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be a major new funder of infrastructure in developing Asia, where demand for power is growing faster than any other region in the world. Done right, its energy lending could promote an inclusive and sustainable Asian energy transition. This report sets out a vision for an AIIB partnership with the region's most climate-vulnerable countries. This could forge a new path of economic development and confirm a new era of Southern climate leadership.

Hot, Hungry and Starved of Investment: Supporting smallholders to build a climate-resilient agricultural sector in southern Africa

May 24, 2016

As the African Development Bank meets in southern Africa, one of the strongest and most sustained El Niño events on record - turbocharged by climate change - is causing severe drought, failed harvests and a hunger crisis across the region. This is being made worse by record high temperatures as a result of global warming. Women farmers are on the front line of climate change, yet are also the region's first line of defence against food insecurity. With smallholder agriculture being critical to both food security and inclusive growth, governments - supported by donors and international organizations - must urgently implement plans to better support smallholder farmers and increase resilience. This paper outlines the current situation in the region and presents recommendations to help work towards this. 

Let Them Eat Coal: Why the G7 must stop burning coal to tackle climate change and fight hunger

June 2, 2015

Climate change is already the biggest threat to winning the fight against hunger. Coal is the biggest single cause of climate change, yet the G7 countries are still burning huge amounts, despite efficient, affordable, renewable alternatives being available. G7 coal power stations emit twice as much fossil fuel CO2 as the whole of Africa, and their contribution to global warming will cost Africa alone more than $43bn per year by the 2080s and $84bn by 2100, and lead to several million tonnes of staple crops lost worldwide.This year will see crucial new UN climate talks in Paris. To set the tone for a successful climate agreement at the UN talks in December, the G7 must lead the world in setting out clear plans for a just transition away from coal. This Oxfam briefing paper shows how with the right mix of regulatory and policy measures, some countries can move to coal-free electricity grids within the next decade. Oxfam commissioned the think-tank E3G to review the current coal situation in all G7 countries. This paper summarizes their findings; full detailed reports for each G7 country can be found on the E3G website.

Breaking the Standoff: Post-2020 climate finance in the Paris agreement

November 27, 2014

Climate finance is fundamental to a fair and effective global climate agreement. Too few countries have delivered on their obligations. As a result, the world's poorest people have not benefitted from the necessary investment, and climate finance has been a major obstacle to achieving a global climate change agreement.This paper suggests a new approach that recognizes the failings of the current climate finance regime and is better informed by needs and opportunities at the national level. It could break the current standoff and trigger a collaborative effort that delivers effective investment at scale in both mitigation and adaptation. Along with ambitious emissions reduction pledges by developed countries, this is key to success in the 2015 Paris climate negotiations.See also Stockholm Environment Institute discussion brief 'Estimating International Mitigation Finance Needs: A top-down perspective'

The UN Climate Summit's Public-Private Action Announcements: Sorting the promising from the greenwash

September 18, 2014

Since global leaders last met to discuss climate change five years ago, climate-related disasters have cost the world almost half a trillion dollars. More than 650 million people have been affected and more than 112,000 lives have been lost. World leaders meeting at the Ban Ki-moon Summit on 23 September need to help galvanize global action.Oxfam's analysis of the private sector announcements and public-private initiatives that will be launched at the summit reveals that they will fall short of what is needed, offering no substitute for government inaction. This guide assesses the different initiatives against a number of tests, including whether the initiative will lead to action that goes beyond business-as-usual; whether it is transformational; whether it is pro-poor; and whether it includes transparent benchmarks for measuring impact and ensuring accountability.See also A Sign of Things to Come? Examining four major climate-related disasters, 2010-2013, and their impacts on food securityOxfam media briefing: The Summit that Snoozed?

The EU's 2030 Energy and Climate Change Package: Fit for a food and energy-secure world?

May 30, 2014

The EU is facing an energy wake-up call as a food and fuel crisis looms. Political instability from Russia and Ukraine is combining with climate vulnerability in the EU's key exporters. Big decisions are being taken now about Europe's energy future as the EU negotiates a new set of climate and energy targets for 2030. This briefing shows that the only way to guarantee secure and affordable energy, and to climate-proof Europe's food, is for the EU to urgently increase climate action and to wean itself off fossil fuels, rather than opt for a dead-end route of more coal extraction and fracking.Oxfam is calling for the EU to agree targets to reduce energy demand and boost sustainable renewable energy to help cut emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. These actions will help to keep energy affordable for Europe and tackle climate change - which will have most impact on the poorest people and reverse the fight against hunger.