Rethinking Governance in International Climate Finance

This research paper examines the governance of international public climate finance, arguing that structural differences between climate and development finance allow for alternative governance approaches that shift decision-making authority toward recipient countries.

• The author contends that previous governance reforms tied to development finance were ineffective because global organizations failed to understand the actual dynamics of power, particularly informal power, within recipient countries.
• Climate finance is distinguished from development finance by three core principles: it is viewed as restitution rather than aid, recipient countries should maintain control over how resources are allocated, and the funding must support adaptation and mitigation.
• These new principles have resulted in a shift of decision-making authority from the contributors of funds to the recipient countries, creating opportunities for new governance approaches through multilateral experimentation and forums where recipient countries hold authority.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Rethinking Governance in International Climate Finance. https://www.sei.org/publications/rethinking-governance-in-international-climate-finance/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Rethinking Governance in International Climate Finance. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/rethinking-governance-in-international-climate-finance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Rethinking Governance in International Climate Finance |date=31 August 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/rethinking-governance-in-international-climate-finance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022rethinking, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Rethinking Governance in International Climate Finance}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/rethinking-governance-in-international-climate-finance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }