An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development

The research investigates the feasibility of climate compatible development (CCD) by analyzing whether policies can deliver 'triple wins' without generating negative side effects. Using four coastal country case studies, the authors find that while 'no-regrets' triple wins exist—particularly through soft environmental engineering like mangrove restoration—many policies involve trade-offs. Hard-engineering solutions often result in 'regrets' such as habitat destruction or social inequity. The paper concludes that the governance context is critical and warns that a narrow focus on triple wins might divert funding from essential development projects that only offer double wins.

• The authors identify 'no-regrets' triple wins, where actions provide adaptation, mitigation, and development benefits without negative side effects. Examples include conserving water catchment areas and river banks in Belize and Kenya, and using aquaculture wastes to produce biogas in Belize and Vietnam.
• Soft environmental engineering, specifically mangrove restoration, afforestation, and conservation, is a primary source of triple wins. These activities provide shoreline protection (adaptation), carbon sequestration (mitigation), and improved fisheries and ecotourism (development).
• The success of a policy in achieving a triple win without 'regrets' depends heavily on local conditions and governance. For instance, mangrove restoration is 'no-regrets' in Ghana and Kenya due to lower population density, but involves 'low-regrets' or 'with regrets' in Belize and Vietnam where land is scarce and highly valued for tourism.
• Hard-engineering solutions, such as the construction of sea walls, dykes, and hydropower dams, frequently generate 'regrets' or significant trade-offs. These include damaging fish nurseries, increasing downstream erosion, and creating embedded carbon emissions in concrete.
• There is a risk that the pursuit of 'triple wins' could lead development funders, such as the UK Department for International Development (DFID), to neglect core development areas that do not overlap with adaptation and mitigation goals.
• The research suggests that for triple wins to be effectively generated, projects must be initiated with a clear, explicit purpose of either adaptation or mitigation, rather than being general development initiatives that hope for co-benefits.

APA

Tompkins, E. L., Mensah, A., King, L., Long, T. K., Lawson, E. T., Hutton, C., Hoang, V. A., Gordon, C., Fish, M., Dyer, J., & Bood, N. (2013). An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/An-investigation-of-the-evidence-of-benefits-from-climate-compatible-development.pdf

Chicago

Tompkins, Emma L., Adelina Mensah, Lesley King, Tran Kim Long, Elaine T. Lawson, Craig Hutton, Viet Anh Hoang, et al. An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/An-investigation-of-the-evidence-of-benefits-from-climate-compatible-development.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tompkins |first1=Emma L. |last2=Mensah |first2=Adelina |last3=King |first3=Lesley |last4=Long |first4=Tran Kim |last5=Lawson |first5=Elaine T. |last6=Hutton |first6=Craig |last7=Hoang |first7=Viet Anh |last8=Gordon |first8=Chris |last9=Fish |first9=Marianne |display-authors=etal |title=An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=January 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/An-investigation-of-the-evidence-of-benefits-from-climate-compatible-development.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tompkins2013investigation, author = {Tompkins, Emma L. and Mensah, Adelina and King, Lesley and Long, Tran Kim and Lawson, Elaine T. and Hutton, Craig and Hoang, Viet Anh and Gordon, Chris and Fish, Marianne and Dyer, Jen and Bood, Nadia}, title = {{An investigation of the evidence of benefits from climate compatible development}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/An-investigation-of-the-evidence-of-benefits-from-climate-compatible-development.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }