Finding the right angle: Introducing climate compatible development to local political agendas

This fact sheet, produced by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in October 2016, provides guidance on framing climate compatible development to ensure it is adopted into local political agendas. Based on experiences from South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, it outlines five key strategies for sustainability: securing cross-party political consensus, linking climate action to development goals, aligning climate measures with sectoral objectives, utilizing local and national 'champions', and designing initiatives to benefit marginalized social groups.

• To ensure climate compatible development lasts beyond electoral terms or changes in administration, it must be integrated into the political agenda of all political parties. Cross-party consensus provides a stable framework for local governments to act. For example, in Uruguay, all political parties in the national congress signed an agreement supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency, which has resulted in most of the country's energy coming from renewable sources.
• Promoting climate compatible development is often more successful when using innovative entry points that are not immediately climate-related, such as specific economic sectors or subnational policy processes. Effective entry points can be identified by analyzing community-specific vulnerabilities, understanding local development needs, and analyzing perceptions of solutions. Examples include using coastal tourism priorities in Belize to create an Integrated Coastal Zone management plan, or addressing unreliable energy supplies in Sialkot, Pakistan and West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia to drive renewable energy development.
• Climate measures are more likely to be adopted when they are 'packaged' to highlight their contribution to existing sectoral goals. Additionally, the use of 'climate champions'—individuals who share the language and perspective of the target audience—can help scale initiatives. In Sialkot, Pakistan, the local Chamber of Commerce helped convince private companies of the benefits of photovoltaic panels. However, the document notes that such advocates must be supported by institutional capacity building and policy changes to be sustainable.
• Climate initiatives can be designed to improve the rights and quality of life for women and marginalized groups, which in turn sustains positive climate outcomes. In Nepal, the introduction of rice and duck farming for an indigenous tribe (the Tharu people) increased production and reduced weeding labor for women, providing them more time for social interaction.
• Establishing a publicly available medium- to long-term roadmap helps economic actors commit to the process. Examples include the DHAN Foundation's Action Plan for Blue-Green Infrastructure in Madurai, India, which aligns with the city's master plan to 2031, and the Urban Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) project in Bogor, Indonesia, which integrated low emission development into the city's medium-term plan to fund a rapid transit bus system and fuel switchover.

APA

Reil, A., Tiwari, S., Dedicatoria, R., Anton, B., Paul, A., Dupar, M., & Madhankumar, A. (2016). Finding the right angle: Introducing climate compatible development to local political agendas. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Essentials_Framing-local-CCD_FINAL_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Reil, Alice, Sundandan Tiwari, Ranell Dedicatoria, Barbara Anton, Aditi Paul, Mairi Dupar, and A Madhankumar. Finding the right angle: Introducing climate compatible development to local political agendas. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Essentials_Framing-local-CCD_FINAL_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reil |first1=Alice |last2=Tiwari |first2=Sundandan |last3=Dedicatoria |first3=Ranell |last4=Anton |first4=Barbara |last5=Paul |first5=Aditi |last6=Dupar |first6=Mairi |last7=Madhankumar |first7=A |title=Finding the right angle: Introducing climate compatible development to local political agendas |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=October 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Essentials_Framing-local-CCD_FINAL_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reil2016finding, author = {Reil, Alice and Tiwari, Sundandan and Dedicatoria, Ranell and Anton, Barbara and Paul, Aditi and Dupar, Mairi and Madhankumar, A}, title = {{Finding the right angle: Introducing climate compatible development to local political agendas}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Essentials_Framing-local-CCD_FINAL_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }