Locally-led climate solutions

WHY WE MUST ENABLE LOCALLY-LED SOLUTIONS

Youth, women, Indigenous peoples, and others most affected by the climate crisis are often at the forefront of some of the most effective – and inclusive – climate actions worldwide.

Local climate solutions are more effective for several reasons.

• They are more tailored to the local context and harness local communities’ innovation capacity and (traditional) knowledge.
• They better integrate socio-economic development with climate benefits
• They allow local communities to have ownership over the solutions; this greatly increases the chances of success of those solutions.

5 BENEFITS TO LOCAL ACTION ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE

WHAT LOCALLY-LED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS LOOK LIKE

Local climate solutions take many different forms. Like modifying agriculture practices in response to unpredictable weather patterns, more frequent droughts or heavier rainfall, planting mangroves that protect coastlines against sea level rise, and even campaigns against littering on beaches to protect coral reefs and other marine life.

EXAMPLES OF LOCAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

LOCALLY-LED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS BASED ON NATURE

Often, effective climate solutions are a symbiosis between local communities and nature. These solutions harness the power of nature to protect people against the devastating effects of climate change. Locally-led solutions that harness nature’s power also positively impact the local economies and livelihoods.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Over 3.3 billion people live in highly vulnerable places to climate change.
• Nature-based solutions could reduce the intensity of climate and weather-related hazards by 26%
• Nature-based solutions could provide developing countries with valuable protection against the economic cost of climate change, saving at least US$104 billion in 2030 and US$ 393 billion in 2050.

IFRC WWF REPORT: WORKING WITH NATURE TO PROTECT PEOPLE

FINANCING FOR LOCALLY-LED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

There is a growing understanding of the need and effectiveness of locally-led climate solutions. Yet, data shows that global responses to the climate crisis are passing over these. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development, it was estimated that between 2003 – 2016 less than 10% (US$1.5 billion) of the US$17.4 billion that was committed to climate change projects were locally-focused.

CLIMATE FINANCE NOT REACHING LOCAL LEVEL

LOCALLY LED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS and POWER HOLDERS

This attitude is pervasive beyond financing. Current power holders, often from the wealthiest and most industrialised countries, are the ones deciding on the direction of the entire global climate transition and choosing whose initiatives are prioritised. This must change. The international community needs to provide a platform for locally-led climate solutions where voices of low-income and marginalised groups can influence the transition.

LOCALLY LED ADAPTATION PRINCIPLES

To counter the power imbalance, a growing number of governments and (international) organisations have endorsed the Locally Led Adaptation Principles. These principles are developed to extend financial resources to local governments, community-based organisations, and other local actors and to help create structures that give local groups greater influence on decision-making.

WHAT VCA IS DOING TO ENHANCE LOCALLY-LED CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

VCA envisions a world where civil society co-creates locally relevant, inclusive and fundable climate solutions. We do this by mutual capacity strengthening for co-creating alternative scaled climate solutions. Read more about our work on the Who we are page.