Advancing Africa’s Position on Global Climate Finance

The policy brief contends that the deadlock in global climate finance negotiations stems from a lack of predictability in financial flows. It suggests that Africa can lead a breakthrough for the Paris (COP21) conference by shifting focus from quantifying 'adequate' finance to securing 'predictable' flows. The author argues that by demonstrating the ability to effectively deploy available resources and aligning adaptation needs with low-carbon development pathways, African nations can create a 'win-win' scenario that encourages developed nations to provide sustained funding. The brief recommends identifying off-budget and market-driven financial sources to avoid the unreliability of traditional budget support.

• The primary obstacle to a consensus on global climate finance is the lack of predictability in financial flows, which hinders the ability of developing countries to plan long-term climate responses.
• Africa's African Group of Negotiators (AGN) is uniquely positioned to lead climate negotiations because it can present a common position for 54 countries.
• To increase the willingness of international partners to provide finance, African countries must first establish credibility by demonstrating they can effectively spend and monitor the resources already available.
• A 'win-win' outcome can be achieved by integrating climate change adaptation with low-carbon development pathways, as these often overlap in sectors like agriculture.
• Traditional budget support is considered an unreliable source of sustained climate finance due to short-term political cycles and shifting government commitments.
• The document recommends that African leadership seek off-budget and market-driven financial solutions to enhance the predictability of funding.

APA

Petrie, B. (2015). Advancing Africa’s Position on Global Climate Finance. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Policy-Briefing-137.pdf

Chicago

Petrie, Belynda. Advancing Africa’s Position on Global Climate Finance. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Policy-Briefing-137.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Petrie |first1=Belynda |title=Advancing Africa’s Position on Global Climate Finance |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Policy-Briefing-137.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{petrie2015advancing, author = {Petrie, Belynda}, title = {{Advancing Africa’s Position on Global Climate Finance}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Policy-Briefing-137.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }