Effective Laws for
Climate-Compatible Development and the Green Economy: Overview
Climate change is a major geo-political challenge. Impacts of climate
change threaten to undermine decades of development progress, a matter
of climate justice. Developing countries are struggling to access and
absorb climate finance for mitigation and adaptation, and to realize
the benefits of the low-carbon economy and green projects such as REDD+
and CDM. Facing this issue, IDLO offers a suite of legal services to
legally empower governments and actors to address these challenges.
IDLO also leads legal and governance issues in international climate
change negotiations, with a strong roster of climate law experts
worldwide, high quality legal technical assistance and publications,
strategic networks, establishment of Legal Working Groups and local
presence through in-the-field offices such as in Kenya and Vietnam,
and/or strategic partnerships with local institutions and experts such
as in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala.
With unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, ecosystems may
become incapable of providing the goods and services on which hundreds
of millions of the most vulnerable and poor depend. An enabling legal
environment, underpinned by good governance can contribute to
developing countries adopting a sustainable development pathway.
Moreover, appropriate economic instruments and incentives can encourage
sustainable economic development and support emerging green markets ..
With tailored legal and institutional preparedness, IDLO’s green
economy programming assists developing countries to attract and absorb
new opportunities to access the benefits of sustainable natural
resources governance while improving livelihoods of the most vulnerable
communities. IDLO uses new technical legal services to assist
developing countries to access benefits of equitable international
bio-prospecting contracts, participate in new markets for sustainable
products, and access new financing for the ecosystem goods and services
upon which the most poor and vulnerable populations depend.
Legal Preparedness for
Climate Change and the Green Economy: IDLO’s Approach
IDLO’s Legal Preparedness for Climate Change and the Green Economy
programming employs unique methodologies to systematically identify,
through cross-sectoral consultations and multi-stakeholder engagement,
legal and governance barriers; provide legal and regulatory
recommendations with training and technical assistance for
implementation; and implement consensus-based solutions tailored
uniquely for each recipient country.
Climate Finance &
Carbon Markets: IDLO’s Strategic Focus
Legal Preparedness for Sustainable Land Use and Low-Carbon Investment:
Assessing and updating regulatory frameworks to assist in preparing,
implementing and resolving conflicts related to REDD+ investments, and
beyond, in developing countries, including those involving agricultural
communities and indigenous peoples. Legal Preparedness for Climate
Change: Assisting countries to strengthen their legal systems so that
they can access new climate financing and clean technologies. IDLO
works closely with national and sub-national governments to adopt
Climate Change Action Plans with holistic and integrated approaches to
mitigation, adaptation and climate finance.
Legal Empowerment for
Sustainable Development: Helping communities gain legal
empowerment for sustainable economic development, and designing legal
measures to promote pricing that values sustainable goods and service,
reduces disincentives for sustainable development, and encourages
payments for ecosystem services.