Planning climate compatible development: lessons from experience

This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines how developing countries can plan Climate Compatible Development (CCD) by balancing domestic priorities with the requirements of international funding and accountability frameworks. Drawing on lessons from the Rio Conventions and Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) processes, the document provides recommendations for multi-stakeholder engagement, evidence-based planning, integrated policy frameworks, and effective monitoring and evaluation to ensure that climate adaptation and low emissions development (LED) are successfully institutionalized.

• A primary challenge in planning Climate Compatible Development (CCD) is the tension between 'upward' accountability to international funders and 'downward' accountability to domestic needs. Planning is frequently skewed toward external requirements, which can lead to ineffective outcomes within the country.
• Effective multi-stakeholder engagement is necessary for local and national ownership of CCD plans, but it is often not institutionalized. For instance, expert groups are frequently disbanded once a national document is completed, missing opportunities for iterative decision-making. While India's NBSAP used a successful decentralized approach with over 70 sub-national plans, it failed to gain political uptake because it did not sufficiently engage the private sector or high-level government officials.
• CCD planning must be evidence-based to avoid creating 'wish-lists' of projects that do not address actual problems. The document notes that some National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) have been criticized for promoting 'development as usual' priorities, and UNCCD National Action Plans often ignore the political nature of land degradation.
• Integrated planning is essential to prevent CCD objectives from being treated as isolated exercises. Historically, Rio Convention planning has often run in parallel to national development plans, resulting in fragmented lists of projects for international financing rather than integrated domestic strategies.
• Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks are frequently missing or inadequate in national plans. Only 40 percent of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) provide indicators for success, and just half include measurable targets. M&E for adaptation is particularly difficult because there are no agreed-upon indicators for measuring increases in adaptive capacity.
• Specific country examples demonstrate successful planning mechanisms: Rwanda's Ubudehe programme moved from consultative to participatory poverty assessments; Mozambique increased domestic accountability through parliamentary reviews of the PRSP; and Bolivia used 'scrutiny committees' and the Grupo Nacional de Trabajo para la Participación (GNTP) to link local and national M&E for its poverty reduction strategy.

APA

Kaur, N., & Ayers, J. (2010). Planning climate compatible development: lessons from experience. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Planning-CCD.pdf

Chicago

Kaur, Nanki, and Jessica Ayers. Planning climate compatible development: lessons from experience. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2010. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Planning-CCD.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kaur |first1=Nanki |last2=Ayers |first2=Jessica |title=Planning climate compatible development: lessons from experience |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=December 2010 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Planning-CCD.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kaur2010planning, author = {Kaur, Nanki and Ayers, Jessica}, title = {{Planning climate compatible development: lessons from experience}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2010}, month = dec, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Planning-CCD.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }