International Support for Domestic Climate Policies

The executive summary examines domestic climate policy implementation in developing countries through six case studies in Brazil, Ghana, India, South Africa, and China. It argues that while development co-benefits drive domestic support, resource constraints and competing priorities hinder progress. The document proposes that international support—including technical assistance, technology cooperation, and financial resources for incremental costs—can overcome these barriers. It specifically advocates for the use of intermediate policy indicators for monitoring and incentive schemes, rather than relying solely on long-term emissions reductions, to provide early rewards and flexibility.

• Domestic climate policies in developing countries are often driven by development co-benefits such as energy savings, safer transport, additional employment, improved services, and reduced pollution, but are limited by resource constraints and other government priorities.
• International support can mitigate implementation barriers by providing technical assistance, technology cooperation, and funding for the incremental costs of policies, aligned with the principle of common but differentiated responsibility.
• The use of intermediate policy indicators is critical for successful implementation and monitoring, as they align with political time-frames (approximately 3 years) and avoid the difficulty of predicting long-term emissions impacts.
• International incentive schemes are most effective when linked to observable short-term policy indicators rather than final emissions reductions, allowing for flexibility in policy design.
• Case studies highlight specific domestic policy opportunities: public transport and city planning in Brazil; industrial energy efficiency audits and grants in Ghana; energy and carbon efficiency in Indian steel and rural pump replacement; Concentrated Solar Power procurement in South Africa; and the wind power industry in China.

APA

Neuhoff, K. (n.d.). International Support for Domestic Climate Policies. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/executive-summary-isdcp.pdf

Chicago

Neuhoff, Karsten. International Support for Domestic Climate Policies. Climate Strategies, n.d. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/executive-summary-isdcp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Neuhoff |first1=Karsten |title=International Support for Domestic Climate Policies |publisher=Climate Strategies |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/executive-summary-isdcp.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{neuhoffndinternational, author = {Neuhoff, Karsten}, title = {{International Support for Domestic Climate Policies}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/executive-summary-isdcp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }