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Vertical Integration of ClimateChange Policies and Actions inAsia-Pacific Cities

h t t p s : / / w w w . u n e s c a p . o r g / o u r - w o r k / e n v i r o n m e n t - d e v e l o p m e n t / u r b a n - d e v e l o p m e n t

L i a m F e e , S e n i o r C o n s u l t a n t , C i t i e s a n d C l i m a t e C h a n g eS u s t a i n a b l e U r b a n D e v e l o p m e n t S e c t i o n , U n i t e d N a t i o n s E S C A P3 0 t h O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0

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Objectives of this Paper:

To provide an assessment of how urban climate action is supported, promoted or obstructed by the countries’ multi-level governance frameworks and instruments to consider the role of existing and

emerging governance mechanisms

To identify innovative and replicable instruments that

support climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in Asia-

Pacific that are (or are not) vertically integrated in national

policies

To identify key policy pathways, lessons and takeaways on the role of vertical integration of

climate change policies in the Asia and Pacific region, relevant to the

cities’ perspective

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Why this paper? And Why Now?.Global impact, increasing momentum, enabling policy

• It’s timely – NDCs are currently being updated

with greater ambition needed in most countries.

• To examine how cities are emerging as leaders to

spearhead the recovery from the pandemic and

toward more ambitious commitments.

• Because there is an architecture of international

agreements that enable cities to build on a

history of localizing by providing more support

than at any other time in history.

• The paper was prepared as an input into UN

World Cities Day. Key policy inputs/messages will

be conveyed to Asia-Pacific member states

participating in the 6th Session of the ESCAP

Committee on Environment and Development on

December 9th – 10th 2020.

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Urban Climate Action and the NDCsS e t t i n g t h e S c e n e

• This paper highlights the critical frameworks and instruments

required to turn NDC commitments into action.

• The Philippines and India are the two largest countries in the region

to make 2°C compatible commitments in their NDCs.

• In some countries, urban sector ministries are key drivers of

horizontal collaboration (which supports vertical integration).

• Cities are making direct contributions to mitigation and adaptation

goals, with support from C40, GCoM, UCLG, among others.

• Many NDCs from the region prioritize urban areas or urban-related

priorities – providing a basis for vertical integration.

Source: UN-Habitat (2018). Sustainable Urbanization and the Paris Agreement, p.31. Note, original

source includes countries outside the ESCAP definition of Asia-Pacific

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Defining Multi-Level Governance Frameworks

• Frameworks are the systems in which different levels of

government interact.

• Instruments are the specific platforms, funding

mechanisms, and action plans that are implemented to support

climate action at the local or city level.

Multilevel

Governance

Frameworks

Multilevel

Governance

Instruments

Implementing

Instruments

Institutionalizing

InstrumentsCross-cutting

instruments

The paper understands multi-level climate governance as a term that refers to:

“the structural and institutional setting in

which different levels of government

distribute roles and responsibilities,

coordinate and cooperate on climate action ”

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MLG Frameworks -Key Messages• Frameworks are important because climate change adaptation and

mitigation actions are highly complex in numerous ways;

• Many climate change mitigation and adaptation actions are financially

expensive and technologically complex, and require cooperation across

different departments, with different sectors, and at different scales.

• An example of this complexity is the 2011 Thailand floods and the

response and adaptation actions after it, which involved numerous

departments, different jurisdictions and international cooperation

• Decentralization can be an effective enabler of vertically integrated

climate action, however, it can also create bottlenecks, where systems

don’t support effective interactions between levels of government.

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Multi-level Governance Instruments

Institutionalizing Instruments

• Climate Finance

• Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

• Implementing and institutionalizing instruments achieve a particular purpose at a particular stage of action.

Cross-cutting Instruments

• City-Level Capacity,

• Citizen Engagement and Participation

• Digitization

• Cross-cutting instruments are useful at any stage, or all stages, of climate change mitigation or adaptation action.

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Climate Finance as an Instrument of Multi-Level Governance

• US$16.8 trillion of new and additional investment is needed globally to meet present NDC commitments.

• At present, 76% of climate finance is domestic.

• Most cities are unable to raise their own finance, increasing the need for vertical integration and multi-sector

partnerships.

• It is very difficult for cities to raise international public or private finance, without partnering with national level

agencies, or external partners.

• There is a general correlation between a country’s economic development and cities’ independence from

central government budget transfers.

• Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews (CPEIRs), are effective tools to understand the public

climate finance in countries.

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The People’s Survival FundC a s e S t u d y

• The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) is the Government of the Philippines’

f lagship climate finance programme.

• PSF works under a supportive national legal and policy framework,

including the 2009 Climate Change Act and the 2011 People’s Survival

Fund Act, and is overseen by the Climate Change Commission, which

reports directly to the Office of the President;

• However, of an initial 1 billion Peso (approximately US$20.6 million),

only around 1/3rd has been utilized.

• Cities have struggled with the requirements of the fund and balancing

these with their existing planning responsibilities. Demand for

adaptation support exists, but there are capacity and administrative

blockages.

• Problems with the fund are not insurmountable, however, and it could

yet prove a model for others. Source: PSF Official Facebook Page

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Measuring, Reporting and Verification• MRV under the Convention dates back to 2007, and is expressed

through Biennial Update Reports (BURs).

• Countries have been responsible for defining and implementing their

own MRV systems. Yet, participation in the international MRV system

has been limited.

• Some country systems, such as the one in India, have been complex

and relied on self-certification. Cities and local governments’

participation in the Convention’s MRV system has been very limited.

• A new system called the enhanced transparency framework will come

into place in 2024.

• Other opportunities, such as the NAZCA platform, exist for non-

state and local actors

Measuring

• Measuring refers to reduction in GHG emissions and the

impact of mitigation measures, including support

received and required in the future

Reporting

• Reporting is articulated through National

Communications every 4 years and Biennial Update

Reports (BURs)

Verification

• Verification is the process to increase the

transparency of mitigation actions and their effects,

through international consultation and analysis

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City Capacity• Considering the scale and complexity of climate change mitigation

and adaptation actions necessary, it is unsurprising that greater

institutional, human resources and financial capacities are required.

• Almost all countries in Asia-Pacific have used their official

communications to the UNFCCC to highlight the need to build

capacity.

• Yet many organisations provide capacity building support on climate

change: C40, UCLG, GCoM (among many others).

• It is important for cities to agree climate goals and actions. These are

a means to increase institutional, human resource and financial

capacity. Dedicated climate departments with human resource

capacity can support efforts to horizontally and vertically integrate

climate action, while finance is critical for implementation.

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Citizen Engagement in Semarang, IndonesiaC a s e S t u d y

• Citizen engagement and participation is a critical element

of ‘good governance’ – so it follows that it must be critical

to good climate governance too.

The paper offers a distinction between:

• Engagement (a more top-down, formalized process);

• Participation (a more bottom-up spontaneous process).

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Digitization and Smart Cities• Digital solutions offer new and innovative solutions for city climate

action in the Asia-Pacific region and so far, have been mostly applied in

energy efficiency, water management, and especially urban mobility;

• One good practice is Beijing’s Pick Me Up, a transport

application. This is privately operated but with support from

national and city government;

• Cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing are replicating the

initiative, with potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by

658 tonnes per year.

• Bhubaneswar, as part of India’s Smart Cities Mission has

implemented Mu Saviour, an app that crowd-sources data about

flood risk;

• Mu Saviour is in line with India’s NDC commitment but also

directly engages communities.

Source: ADB Report 50 Climate Solutions From Cities In

The People’s Republic Of China

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Conclusions and Key Messages

Multilevel governance

frameworks are

important because of

the scale and

complexity of climate

action.

Decentralization can

be an important

enabling framework

Citizen acceptance

of climate actions or

even co-production

of them, gained

through formal

engagement

processes, or less

formal participatory

approaches is

essential

Finance is a critical

implementing

instrument of climate

change adaptation

and mitigation action,

through new modes

of enabling cities to

directly access new

and additional public

climate finance.

Measuring, reporting

and verification is

new to many

countries in the

region, the systems

are evolving, with the

current system

scheduled to be

replaced between

2022-2024

Capacity at the city

level remains patchy

at best, despite

extensive efforts.

Climate policies and

plans, supported by

institutional, human

resource and

financial capacity are

essential

As the region

recovers from the

Covid-19 pandemic,

spaces for

collaboration will

move more online,

making travel and

budget less of a

restriction to

participation

To create co- and

peer to peer

learning, international

collaboration,

including south-south

exchanges, is critical

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Thank you!

H T T P : / / W W W . E S C A P . O R G / O U R - W O R K / E N V I R O N M E N T - D E V E L O P M E N T / U R B A N - D E V E L O P M E N T

Liam Fee

liam.fee@un.org