Climate debate in Hammamet: Finance, the driving force behind the climate battle
We keep asking how to deal with climate-related risks, when we should be questioning how and with what means we can fight them. And that’s precisely where financing our climate actions becomes all the more relevant.
The first global climate conference, it’s worth recalling, took place in Geneva in 1979, followed by the one in The Hague ten years later. But the topic only gained real traction after COP1 in Berlin, where the issue of climate change began to surface, triggering the first warnings about serious global warming that threatens the future of humanity.
Like a cry in the wilderness!
Since then, the debate has continued—without resolution. And every year, the world turns once again to the wealthiest nations—the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases—urging them to swiftly provide the green financing needed to support our climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience projects. These countries are also called upon to align with global sustainable development goals and offer concrete responses to the climate crisis. And rightly so. After all, we keep coming back to the same principle: think globally, act locally.
That’s why it’s time to strengthen our national and sectoral capacities to better access climate finance mechanisms, both domestically and internationally. Yet, the world’s biggest polluters have still not fulfilled their promise to allocate 100 billion dollars in support of the most vulnerable countries. That pledge, made at COP15 in Copenhagen back in 2009, remains unfulfilled. The delay drags on, with no tangible results. The call seems to have fallen on deaf ears—like a cry in the wilderness.
“Most climate-related financial flows remain opaque. Decisions are made by bilateral or multilateral agencies and channeled through international intermediaries like the World Bank, which are far removed from the realities and expertise on the ground,” explains Essia Guezzi, Programme Coordinator at Hivos.
So what now? Should we just wait for Godot? Nothing is certain. One thing is clear—we cannot sit idly by. There is an urgent need to intensify the monitoring and evaluation of climate finance mechanisms, ensuring transparency, while also leveraging public-private partnerships to effectively implement our own climate policies.
As of today, the topic of “climate finance” is back on the table. In Hammamet, a workshop is being held to validate a study mapping climate finance flows in Tunisia. This is part of the “Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA)” programme, launched in Tunisia in January 2021 by Hivos, the Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation. According to the organization, VCA is a movement for lobbying and advocacy, aiming to empower national civil society and marginalized groups to become strong advocates, facilitators, and creators of inclusive and innovative climate solutions. The momentum appears to be ongoing.
Not enough funding, but…
Today’s debate will focus on the challenges Tunisian stakeholders—public sector, private sector, civil society, and local communities—face in accessing green funds, which ultimately limits the potential to strengthen climate action in Tunisia. “This has to stop. We don’t have time for more delays and excuses,” declares Ms. Guezzi. She emphasizes the need to initiate a multi-stakeholder dialogue to gather meaningful feedback on the mapping of climate finance flows and to strengthen collaboration among climate actors in Tunisia, including VCA programme partners.
As part of this programme, Hivos conducted a study to assess the current state of climate financing in Tunisia and identify ways to improve access to funding for local climate solutions and marginalized communities—those on the front lines of the climate crisis. Because, as she points out, only the wealthiest and most resilient hold the power to decide and to be heard. “Only 10% of funds go toward financing solutions that are locally adapted, effective, and appropriate,” she estimates.
That said, the study found that Tunisia has made significant progress in recent years in terms of climate finance. Several mechanisms have already been established: the Tunisian Climate Change Fund, the Tunisian Green Fund, and the Tunisian Investment Fund for Climate Change. However, these efforts are still considered insufficient due to a lack of coherence in the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders. In other words, the study revealed that Tunisia’s efforts are not well targeted, and there is a need for better monitoring and evaluation of projects.
“There is no available platform that provides clear and accessible data on funds allocated to climate finance,” admits the Hivos Tunisia representative. Her advice: Tunisia must strengthen its ties with donors. Whether through advocacy or other awareness-raising strategies, every avenue must be explored to secure more funding.
Nearly 20 billion dollars by 2030
In this context, Tunisia will need an estimated 19.4 billion dollars in financial resources by 2030. The majority—around 74%—is expected to be invested in mitigation projects, followed by adaptation initiatives (22.3%) and capacity-building efforts (0.7%). This falls under the updated implementation of Tunisia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which, as defined by the country’s climate focal point, is ‘a climate action plan aimed at reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change.’
Under the Paris Agreement, every Party—including Tunisia—is required to establish an NDC and update it every five years. The workshop in Hammamet is expected to produce a series of recommendations, primarily focused on the right to access climate finance.
Posted from the original article on La Presse.tn
