Policy Updates

On November 11, 2024, JICA announced a new climate strategy for agricultural and rural development cooperation to address the pressing need for climate resilience and sustainable practices, particularly in developing nations facing heightened climate risks.

Emphasizing human security, this strategy aligns with Japan’s commitments under the Paris Agreement and integrates both adaptation and mitigation measures across JICA’s agricultural and rural projects to enhance food security, bolster livelihoods, and strengthen resilience against climate impacts.

The strategy identifies six core actions:

• Developing climate impact assessment tools;
• Proposing customized adaptation approaches;
• Reviewing current projects for climate impacts;
• Incorporating resilience in new projects;
• Promoting mitigation techniques; and
• Advancing knowledge-sharing efforts.

Key focal areas include:

• Enhancing water resource efficiency;
• Promoting sustainable farming; and
• Supporting innovations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in regions heavily affected by climate change.

Through this framework, JICA aims to create more sustainable agriculture systems by 2030. The strategy fosters cross-sector collaboration, data-informed assessments, and practical climate solutions to build resilient rural economies. Japan is also committed to sharing insights and findings internationally, thus contributing to global efforts toward climate-smart agriculture and rural development.

On November 11, 2024, the CGD, examined the GBP1.5 billion (US$1.9 billion) UK ODA cuts within the context of the new government’s commitments, and explored what might be expected in the coming period.

In the new budget, total UK ODA, including the IDRCs, will drop from GBP15.3 billion (US$19.8 billion) in 2023, to GBP13.9 billion (US$18 billion) in 2024, and then rise to GBP14.3 billion (US$18.5 billion) in 2025.

The CGD noted that the UK needs to meet its ICF target which forms the UK’s commitment to international finance under the Paris Agreement. Given so much of UK ODA is made up of IDRCs, a significant proportion of what remains needs to be redistributed into climate finance, impacting emerging UK development policy priorities.

The UK is conducting reviews of their development policy led by Nemat (Minouche) Shafik, formerly Permanent Secretary at DFID, who has also held senior roles at the Bank of England, World Bank and IMF, London School of Economics, and Columbia University.

On November 10, 2024,climate experts report that wrote that Labour has been accused of failing to live up to its stance on climate leadership after October’s budget squeezed the funding the UK has available to help poorer countries deal with climate change, ahead of the COP summit,.

The UK is sending a team led by UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband who has promised to show global leadership on the climate crisis. Britain’s negotiating team acknowledges that the new climate finance goal must be larger than the previous agreement. However, activists warn that budget constraints being imposed by the Treasury put the UK in a difficult position.

The deal being agreed at COP29 will replace an old agreement from 2009 under which wealthier countries promised to provide poorer countries with US$100 billion annually to cope with climate change by 2020. Under this agreement, the UK committed to spending GBP11.6 billion (US$15 billion) in ODA for the climate crisis between FY2021/22 and FY2025/26.

The previous Conservative government had been slow to meet this pledge, with over GBP6 billion (US$7.7 billion) needing to be spent in 2024 for the UK is to meet its target.

On November 8, 2024, Austrailian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has announced AUD10 million (US$7 million) in financing for an Innovative Indo-Pacific NGO Accelerator.

The funds would be provided to assist NGOs in increasing the scale of their initiatives to promote climate resilience and gender equality. It would have a particular focus on the Pacific.

Wong noted that NGOs have been leaders in areas such as micro-finance, impact investment, and impact bonds. Wong said the Accelerator would assist NGOs in expanding their impact by overcoming structural barriers.

Australia has taken an increasing role in assisting blended finance activities since 2022.

On November 8, 2024, ahead of the world gathering in Baku for COP29 from November 11- 22, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared that France had exceeded its target of EUR6 billion (US$6.5 billion) per year of climate finance for the 2021-2025 period, a target set by French President Emmanuel Macron in 2020.

According to OECD data, France has provided EUR7.2 billion (US$7.8 billion) in climate finance to developing countries in 2023. EUR2.8 billion (US$3 billion) of total climate finance was directed to climate-change adaptation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that France is one of few countries considered to be providing its fair share towards the collective goal of mobilizing US$100 billion per year until 2025.

In 2020, Macron committed to increase France’s climate finance target for developing countries to EUR6 billion (US$6.5 billion) per year for the 2021-2025 period, with one-third dedicated to adaptation. Over the 2020-2023 period, France provided an average of EUR6.97 billion (US$7.5 billion) in climate finance per year.

Within the EU, France is the second-largest contributor, accounting for 31% of European climate finance provided in 2023.

On November 8, 2024, the EU announced that it will continue to support global climate action and push for ambitious finance and investment goals ahead of COP29 on November 11-22 in Azerbaijan.

The EU will push for international collaboration to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The main priority of this year’s negotiations will be the establishment of a NCQG on Climate Finance. The EU highlighted that the NCQG should contribute to making financial flows consistent with the Paris Agreement and mobilise financing from a wide variety of sources, public and private, domestic and international.

Other key elements for the EU in the COP29 include reconfirming the shift from fossil fuels, tripling investments in renewable energy, and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. The EU will advocate for ambitious updates to NDCs, and it intends to propose a legislative target to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040 as part of the European Climate Law. The EU negotiating team will also work to conclude the negotiations on international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra will lead the EU negotiating team at COP29, with an aim to deliver on the negotiating mandate adopted last month. Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson will focus on the transition away from fossil fuels, reduction of methane emissions, and the development of clean technologies. Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Iliana Ivanova will attend a high-level event on The Future of Net Zero Competitiveness.

On November 5, 2024, South Korean Director of Development Cooperation Jong-han Park and French Deputy Director for Global Affairs, Ministry for Europe Jean-Sébastien Conty had the 3^rd Policy Dialogue to share the current status of their policies on international development cooperation, explore ways to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific region, and exchange views on resolving global issues such as global health and climate.

They expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and African regions, agreeing to revise the MOU signed in October, 2012 between KOICA and AFD to accelerate cooperation between the two development agencies.

The following day, November 6, 2024, South Korean Development Cooperation Support Director Eun-young Jeong and Director for Development and Open Societies, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Christian Rogg had the 10th Policy Dialogue to discuss the progress of practical cooperation between ODA implementing agencies.

This is the first face-to-face meeting between South Korea’s MOFA, MOEF, and the UK FCDO since the signing of the Korea- UK Strategic Development Partnership in November 2023. They agreed to continue to explore ways to cooperate in the key areas of the strategic development partnership including climate and environment, health, and development finance.

These two meetings are expected to further enhance the effectiveness of international development cooperation activities as they include both ministries in charge of grant aid and loans, respectively. MOFA and MOEF will continue to strengthen cooperation with major donor countries and make efforts to contribute to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

On November 7, 2024, UK International Development Minister Anneilese Dodds met with Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota for Brazil, to hand over the UK’s Statement of Commitment to join Brazil’s Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty at the G20.

Earlier this year in September, the UK played a key role in securing a declaration to support sustainable agriculture and promote food security at a meeting of G20 Agriculture Ministers in Brazil. Signing the G20 Agricultural Declaration, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner affirmed the government’s commitment to sustainable agri-food systems.

On November 7, 2024, Canada announced a total of CAD231 million (US$166 million) to support a series of flagship initiatives for peace and security in Africa, as well as building stronger and mutually beneficial partnerships by supporting economic empowerment, climate change action, and gender equality.

The funding was announced by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of International Development, and Minister of International Trade and Economic Development on the margins of the Canada-African Union Commission High-Level Dialogue in Toronto, Ontario.

Canadian Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced nearly CAD177 million (US$127 million) in funding to advance women’s and youth’s economic and social empowerment, support climate-change adaptation, and skills enhancement through the following projects:

• Supporting the UPSNJP - CAD75 million (US$54 million);
• Leading on funding the Renewed Women's Voice and Leadership in Crisis- and Conflict-affected Contexts - CAD25 million (US$18 million);
• Advancing women and youth’s economic and social empowerment in Senegal - CAD20 million (US$14 million);
• Backing the Climate Resilience through Empowering Women project - CAD15 million (US$11 million);
• Providing resources to AWBG - CAD14 million (US$10 million);
• Contributing to the United Nations Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Kenya - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Contributing to FIRST - CAD10 million (US$7 million);
• Strengthening the South Africa Skills Enhancement Program - CAD5 million (US$4 million); and
• Supporting Morocco's WESE - CAD2 million (US$1 million).

Hussen also announced initiatives to strengthening partnership to reduce poverty, provide humanitarian assistance, support economic development, and empowering youth by:

• Creating a new Africa trade and development program at GAC which will support development initiatives that contribute to food security, job creation, gender equality, and environmental sustainability; and
• Enhancing and expanding education and skills training programming to harness economic empowerment.

Additionally, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly announced CAD54 million (US$39 million) in funding for flagship initiatives and projects in the following key focus areas: peace and security, good governance, strengthened people-to-people ties, and enhancing Canada’s diplomatic footprint. This includes by:

• Supporting youth and women in peace processes;
• Supporting community-led conflict-prevention in Darfur and civilian-led political process throughout Sudan;
• Investing in counterterrorism capacity and threat resilience;
• Working to prevent violent extremism and support SGBV;
• Naming a Special Envoy for Africa and for the Sahel; and
• Formalizing Canada’s relationship with the AU Commission through a new memorandum of understanding.

On November 7, 2024, Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim prepared to attend the 2024 climate summit, where climate finance and food security will be key topics.

She emphasized the importance of the summit as an opportunity to reinforce global climate efforts, noting that Norway’s work on climate and food security is closely linked. Tvinnereim believes that strengthening international climate cooperation is essential to ensuring future food supplies.

Tvinnereim plans to participate in events focused on food security and climate adaptation, including a meeting of the Alliance of Champions for transforming food systems, which Norway co-chairs with Brazil and Sierra Leone. Norway’s goal is to combat climate change without endangering food production and to boost climate financing for sustainable food systems through both adaptation and emissions reduction efforts.