Mcintosh Climate Change Session I

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Options • We basically have three choices – mitigation, adaptation and suffering. We’re going to do some of each. The question is what the mix is going to be. The more mitigation that we do, the less adaptation will be required, and the less suffering there will be”. (John Holdren, President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science)

The role of NGOs • Can ensure a community centred approach • NGOs can act as the link between academic research, private sector engagement and communities • Can promote relevant adaptation and help to replicate it • Can help to raise awareness

Questions we asked ourselves • What does climate change mean for the agency? • How does it fit into current programming? • What’s already being done? • What do we want to do? • How do we find resources to move ahead?

Operations - Mitigation • Greening of Mercy Corps – Carbon footprint across the agency – Recommendations for reducing our footprint being introduced – Staff awareness programme being introduced – Portland green building to LEED standards – Retrospective checking of current programmes

Programmes - Adaptation • Vital need for action learning NOW • Mercy Corps will use information to shape future programming and encourage adaptation. • Urgent need to introduce systematic and transparent reporting on adaptation that works

However… • 70% chance of the increase in temperature being over 2° • 50% chance of it being over 3° • Adaptation needs to be based on the possibility of a 4° rise to ensure that mechanisms do not fail.

Big ideas • Essential Need to integrate climate change and DRR • Mercy Corps launching a Climate Risk Reduction Initiative particularly for countries at high risk of hazards. • Will focus on piloting a range of projects that enhance coping mechanisms through income generation – particularly in urban environments and working with youth.

Carbon markets • Carbon markets allow groups to buy and sell carbon credits. – Carbon credits - from energy efficiency, renewable energy and sequestration (locking up carbon) projects like tree planting. – Carbon offsetting – companies generating carbon credits sell them companies needing to buy them because of international, national or local regulations, or voluntarily . – Market value – expected to exceed US$10 billion per year within 3 years.

Policy/Advocacy • Donors need to provide 50-100% more aid annually ( Kermal Dervis, Head of UNDP) – equivalent to 50-100bn each year • Aid is still only 0.36% of developed country incomes – half of what they signed up to in 1970 • Developed countries already spending more on single protection initiatives at home than their commitment to international adaptation funds • Climate change funding must be additional – there must be no re-branding of aid