United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Loss and damage – research, policy and lived experience in least developed countries

On Tuesday, 8 September, IIED and ICCCAD hosted a webinar featuring least developed countries' national experts sharing their research and lived experience of loss and damage. The discussion aimed to ensure that loss and damage remains a priority issue in the lead up to COP26

Five years of building climate negotiators’ capacity: lessons from the field

A review of the past five years of work to build and sustain capacity among developing country climate negotiators, and foster trust between both developed and developing country negotiators

Tailored publications

A series of guidebooks produced by ecbi and bespoke dissemination practices support the training of UN climate negotiators from developing countries

Building our regional partners’ capacity

ecbi collaborates with organisations in developing countries to train participants from the region. Our longest partnership is with Enda Energie, which has organised workshops in East and West Africa

Mentoring women to become climate leaders through a joint initiative

To help address the gender gap at the UN climate negotiations, ecbi developed a mentorship programme that supports women negotiators to engage in high-level decision-making

What does the Paris Agreement’s transparency framework mean for LDCs?

The Paris Agreement offers a global framework to work together to avoid the worst impacts of climate ch

IIED debrief: COP25 and what it means for the climate crisis

After the UN climate talks in Madrid, Spain, ended with widespread disappointment, IIED hosted a discussion in London on Tuesday, 14 January 2020, to unpack the decisions and declarations made at COP25. An expert panel examined what blocked progress and discussed what needs to happen over the coming year in order to deliver success at the climate summit in Glasgow in November 2020

D&C Days 2019: Illumination amid ‘a sea of warnings’

The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre reports from the 2019 Development & Climate Days event, where IIED director Andrew Norton highlighted that "every year the remaining carbon budget for a safe world declines"

IIED and partner events at COP25

This page summarises the activities of IIED, its researchers and partners during the UN climate change talks (COP25) in Madrid, Spain, from 2 to 13 December 2019

How the Philippines’ national M&E system integrates climate and development

IIED has undertaken a series of 'light touch' case studies to show how some countries are developing adaptation M&E for learning systems. This study looks at the Philippines. 

LDC 2050 Vision for a climate-resilient future

The world's least developed countries have set out their response to the climate challenge, with a long-term vision for 2050 that aims to ensure that no country is left behind

Women in the UN climate negotiations: are we tipping the balance?

Ahead of International Women’s Day, Brianna Craft and Samantha McCraine take a closer look at how well women are represented in spaces where international decisions on climate change are made

Momentum builds for ambitious agreements at COP24

When COP24 starts next month, the least developed countries will again be in the spotlight. In a special guest blog, LDC Group chair Gebru Jember Endalew outlines the group's hopes for Katowice

Negotiating transparency for the Paris deal: next stop, Bangkok

As climate experts gather in Bangkok for the final negotiating session before the December UN climate talks, guest blogger Tshewang Dorji discusses the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement – and why these need to work for the LDCs.

How I learnt to make my voice count at the UN climate negotiations

A junior climate negotiator from Laos explains how a recent training workshop gave her the tools to navigate the complex UN climate talks and the skills to push for more positive outcomes for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from these crucial international exchanges

Supporting Least Developed Countries on climate technology transfer

In March, experts on technology development and transfer gathered in Copenhagen and Bonn to take forward the work of the UN climate negotiations. IIED supported representatives of the Least Developed Countries to present proposals that would work for them

Facilitating greater representation of LDCs in the UNFCCC process

Our participation support helps Least Developed Countries in their efforts to increase their representation and engage fully and meaningfully in the UN climate talks

Missing voices: let's hear women's experience of climate change

There was plenty of discussion at the global climate talks about how working directly with women in the global South is essential. But when it came to listening, those very voices were marginalised

Join us for the 15th Development & Climate Days at COP23

Registrations have opened for Development & Climate Days 2017, which will explore four key themes towards climate resilience for all

Author Q&A: Climate Justice in a Non-Ideal World

Saleemul Huq discusses a new book exploring the thorny and highly topical issue of climate justice. The book includes a chapter he co-authors with Achala Abeysinghe

US Paris withdrawal: where now for climate action?

President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement elicited a collective sigh of despair from the environmental community. But his action creates opportunities as well as challenges

LDC women in world climate talks: building a cohort of champions

The Least Developed Countries Group will be at the table when next week's UN climate conference plans how to step up its 'gender agenda'.

Q&A: Key decisions needed at COP22

The rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement raises a challenge for climate negotiators at COP22 in Marrakech, Morroco. Senior climate researcher Subhi Barakat talks to IIED about what is happening at the COP and what decisions need to be made

Join us for the 14th Development & Climate Days at COP22

Registrations have opened for D&C Days 2016, which will take place on 12-13 November 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco, during the middle weekend of this year's United Nations climate change summit

Climate finance for those who need it most

IIED's work on climate finance aims to generate evidence that can inform the design of funding mechanisms and ensure that funds can effectively reach the poor and vulnerable

Climate finance is vital to secure a future worth having

A key issue dominating the landmark climate summit in Paris is that tricky subject of climate finance: who pays, how much, for what? Some elements of the global discourse on the sums required to tackle the urgent climate change threat seem to think there is a simple distinction to be drawn between choosing to spend money on climate or other development issues. But this simplistic rhetoric is damaging and puts lives at risk

COP21 side event discusses how to unlock climate finance for developing countries

COP21 side event discusses how to unlock climate finance for developing countries

What do the Least Developed Countries want from COP21?

A series of nine new interviews brings together different voices from the world’s Least Developed Countries to ask what they want from COP21 in Paris

Message to Secretary of State John Kerry: a legally binding treaty in Paris is essential

In response to comments from the US Secretary of State, Achala Abeysinghe sets out nine key reasons why the Paris climate agreement must be legally binding

The road through Paris: key messages for ministers

As ministers from 80 countries gather in Paris for pre-meetings ahead of COP21, Achala Abeysinghe sets out a clear direction of travel for them to follow

The Road to Paris: how can the world's most vulnerable countries be heard?

With a month to go until the start of COP21, Saleemul Huq provides an insight into the perspectives of the Least Developed Countries ahead of the Paris climate talks, as part of a new series of video interviews for IIED

Climate diplomacy: a beginner's guide

While COP21 in Paris is the crucial summit where a climate change agreement could be reached, it will be the culmination of ongoing climate diplomacy between different states. Brianna Craft looks at what's involved

Supporting the LDCs on climate change adaptation

As climate negotiators meet in Bonn, Batu Uprety says the mandate of the Least Developed Countries Expert Group must be renewed at COP21 to continue to support the LDCs on climate change adaptation

Understanding the SDGs: Tom Bigg

In the first of a series of video interviews with IIED experts working on issues relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Strategy and Learning Group director Tom Bigg highlights the importance of their universality

A 1.5 degree goal could save us from ourselves

As climate negotiations continue in Bonn this week, Stephanie Andrei and Saleemul Huq argue that it would be in everyone's interest to strengthen the target for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees

Financing climate change adaptation in LDCs

Adaptation to climate change is a priority in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), but while funds have been set up to provide finance for adaptation, accessing them is time-consuming and complicated

On the road to Paris: departing Geneva with expectations high

Progress in Geneva has meant a good start to the climate negotiations on the road to Paris, with elements in the text offering the possibility of a fair deal for developing countries

The long and winding road to Paris

As the dust settles after the 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20), IIED sifts through the events in Lima

Helping poorest nations engage in climate diplomacy

Reaching equitable outcomes for the poorest countries through international decision making processes involves more than attending formal negotiations. IIED works to support Least Developed Countries (LDCs) increase the influence of their climate diplomacy

A week that may change the world

It's been a busy week for IIED senior fellow Saleemul Huq, with plenty of action unfolding on the climate change front in New York. Here he provides an inside look into what transpired, and some reflections on how the recent events may impact upcoming climate negotiations

Saleem selected for UN climate summit

IIED senior fellow Saleemul Huq has been chosen as one of 38 civil society representatives to attend the UN Secretary General's climate summit

Engaging in climate diplomacy – policy pointers from an LDC

Effective climate diplomacy can help Least Developed Countries make sure their interests are reflected in international negotiation outcomes

Making gender equality a global and local reality

The UNFCCC has taken significant steps to promote women's increased participation in the global climate change negotiations process. It's a gain for gender equality, but gaps remain

Least developed countries take climate adaptation to next level

While many policymakers in the world's richest nations continue to deny the urgency of action on climate change, governments in the 48 least developed countries are pushing ahead with plans to adapt – or at least trying to

Seven ways equity can promote success at the UN climate talks

For a new global climate agreement to be truly equitable —and get global buy-in — it must share the burden of adaptation as well as that of mitigation.

COP19 in Warsaw – a private finance climate conference?

At the UN climate conference in Copenhagen 2009, developed countries committed to provide funds rising to US$100 billion per year by 2020 to support developing countries in their efforts to address

The private sector’s role in low carbon resilient development

How can the private sector be effectively engaged not just to reduce the long-term impacts of climate change, but also to help communities adapt to the changes they’re experiencing now?

Helping parliamentarians drive national climate change policy

Members of parliament can help break the international stalemate on climate change action by 'domesticating' global decisions, using national legislation. But to do that they often need long-term capacity-building programmes to catalyse the process: programmes that have support within the government and across parliaments

Workshops that build climate negotiators' capacity: European Capacity Building Initiative (ecbi) training and support programme

As part of efforts to create a more level playing field for government delegations taking part in global climate negotiations, IIED led a training and support programme that focused on building the capacity of UNFCCC negotiators from vulnerable developing countries, including the LDCs

Rich nations fail to meet 8 climate-finance pledges analysis shows

Rich nations score poorly on climate finance in most detailed analysis to date and have failed to keep promises to provide poorer ones with funds to tackle climate change.

MPs: the missing pieces to national action on climate change

While climate change is a global problem, many countries are forging ahead with their own national climate change plans – and MPs are important actors in this process.

Apply for a Climate Change Media Partnership journalist fellowship to report on COP18

The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) is proud to announce the launch of a Fellowship program that will send journalists to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha (COP18) in late 2012. The Fellowships are open predominantly to journalists from developing countries, but journalists from the US and Russia are also welcome to apply.

Tweet-by-tweet: COP17 Climate Communications Day

What happens when 150 climate-change communicators get together to talk about their craft? We found out when Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the International Institute for Environment and Development organised the first Climate Communications Day (full programme here) as a side event at the UN climate change conference in Durban, South Africa.

United Nations climate change negotiations: IIED at COP17

IIED was the summit in Durban, sharing learning from our research, training journalists and providing analysis of the unfolding events

Working with local journalists: a mutually beneficial partnership

"I am not exaggerating when I say that reporting on the UN climate change talks is one of the best experiences an environment journalist could ever have. Suddenly it seems as if everyone in the world talks only about forests, water and climate."

A tale of two cities: Durban and Brussels

The media has been telling a tale of two crises: they are complex, interconnected and have much in common. The common threads include richer countries living beyond their means and racking up high levels of financial and ecological debt over several decades leading to an economic and financial crisis. In Europe, we are due for a substantial adjustment in living standards, to get back into balance. Analysts reckon that in the UK, families will only regain their 2002 incomes by 2016 – and that’s if all goes to plan.

UN climate negotiations video update: Trying to find "common ground"

This is the last video update from Saleemul Huq, Senior Fellow of IIED's climate change group, from Durban, South Africa where high-level Ministers have arrived and are making statements.

Development and Climate films focus on ‘human’ angle of climate change

UN climate negotiations video update: Forest day

James Mayers, the head of IIED's natural resources group, discusses key themes being discussed at the UN Climate Negotiations’ forest day in Durban, South Africa.

UN Climate negotiations video update: climate adaptation on the agenda

Closed negotiations have begun at the UN Climate Change conference. Parties are looking at two key issues behind closed doors: national adaptation plans and loss and damage.

UN climate negotiations video update: "Good COP vs bad COP"

In the COP17 side events “we see a lot of hope, solutions and activities at the side events of a positive nature which completely bely the negative vibes coming out of the negotiations themselves,” says Saleemul Huq, IIED’s Senior Fellow in the Climate Change group.  

Video update from the UN climate negotiations: "Theatre from the Canadians"

Saleemul Huq, IIED’s Senior Fellow in the Climate Change group, reports from Durban on "theatre from the Canadians".  

Video update from the UN climate negotiations: Day 1

The first video update from the UN Climate negotiations, IIED’s Senior Fellow in the Climate Change group, Saleemul Huq, outlines the two major issues to be discussed at the COP17.

Three ways Durban climate conference can ensure rich world meets finance promises

A briefing paper published today (21 November) by IIED outlines three steps to ensure developed countries meet their agreed commitments to help poorer nations adapt to climate change.

Poor and vulnerable countries are defying climate inaction

Slow progress at global climate talks is belied by the plethora of actions in many smaller and more at-risk developing nations.

Climate change and religion in flooded Bangkok

I have been attending a meeting of around forty Archbishops and Bishops from all over Asia for several days now at Assumption University on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand surrounded by flood waters approaching the country’s low-lying capital city.

Making REDD+ deliver for everyone

With deforestation and forest degradation being the third largest global contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, forests have an enormous role to play in any attempts to combat climate change. An international scheme called REDD+ (Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest degradation, conservation, sustainable forest mangement and enhancement of carbon stocks) offers a financial incentive to keep trees standing and reduce global greenhouse emissions. Our workshop on 27 November shared perspectives on how we can make REDD+ deliver for people who depend on the forests.

Journalists win fellowships to report on key climate-change conference

The Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) has awarded journalists from 15 countries with fellowships to attend crucial UN talks in Durban that could spell the demise or rebirth of the Kyoto Protocol.

How can air travel contribute to the costs of adapting to climate change?

Climate change negotiators are still meeting this week in Bonn to try and find a way forward on, amongst many other subjects, climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance. Sources of ‘innovative’ finance, such as taxes on international transport, have been proposed. Might these provide a way to break the deadlock on finance and prove to be sources of significant and stable financing to address the impacts of climate change?

“Protecting and promoting the rights of indigenous people benefits us all”

He gave the example of indigenous peoples in Peru who are responding to climate change by reintroducing native potato varieties and so are “helping to conserve the earth’s biodiversity”. “Indigenous peoples have been living a ‘green economy’ for centuries,” he added — economists should look to old practices in indigenous communities for new ways to achieve sustainable development.

COP16: United Nations climate change negotiations

IIED researchers undertook a range of activities at the 16th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16)

Storm watch for Cancun climate talks

Striking a deal at this month’s UN climate talks in Cancun, Mexico will largely depend on negotiators’ ability to settle stormy disputes, particularly between the developed and developing world, over six key issues.

Development and Climate Days COP16

Development and Climate Days is an annual event held during the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. The events offer formal presentations of work on climate change, and opportunity to network, share literature, and showcase video.

REDD: Protecting climate, forests and livelihoods

Deforestation is a global issue. Beyond its destructive impacts on biodiversity and the livelihoods of forest-dependent people, it is a major driver of climate change and accounts for roughly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. REDD — 'reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation' — could offer a way forward, as IIED's growing body of REDD research and reports reflects.

COP14 UN Climate Change Conference

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP14) took place in Poznan, Poland from 1st - 12th December 2008. Find out about IIED's activities at this COP