Clifford Polycarp

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Analyzing Outcomes from the UN Climate Summit
by Jennifer Morgan, David Waskow, Nigel Sizer, Eliot Metzger, Samantha Putt del Pino, Holger Dalkmann, Benoit Lefevre, Alex Doukas and Clifford Polycarp - September 23, 2014
The UN Climate Summit brought together more than 125 heads of state and government officials—the largest-ever climate meeting of world leaders. Leaders clearly demonstrated their understanding that the impacts of climate change are real and costly, and that they no longer have to choose between economic growth and climate action—they go hand-in-hand.

WRI’s experts were in New York for all the action. While the outcomes from the Summit are still evolving, here’s our first look at progress made and next steps.
2 Big Issues to Tackle as the Green Climate Fund Sets Up Shop
by Giulia Christianson, and Clifford Polycarp - December 06, 2013
The world will need to spend an estimated US$5.7 trillion annually in green infrastructure by 2020 in order to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C. This week, it took a step toward creating an institution – the Green Climate Fund – that will be pivotal in achieving this goal.
3 Ways to Make Progress on Climate Finance at COP 19
by Athena Ballesteros and Clifford Polycarp - November 13, 2013
Strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change’s impacts will be costly, so success at COP 19 hinges on making progress on climate finance. It’s important that negotiators pursue three actions: scaling up adaptation finance; developing pathways to secure $100 billion in climate finance by 2020; and moving the Green Climate Fund forward.
The Green Climate Fund: From Inception to Launch
by Clifford Polycarp and Malaya Zumel - October 23, 2013
A year after its inaugural meeting, the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) left its fifth meeting in Paris earlier this month with a collective sense of urgency. The GCF is expected to become the main vehicle for disbursing climate finance to developing nations, so the decisions made at this most recent meeting significantly impact the future of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Encouragingly, Board members stepped up to the important task before them, making progress across several key issues. Their decisions made it clear: The GCF’s inception phase (referred to officially as "the interim period") is over—the focus now is on funding it and launching its operations.
5 Areas for Action to Set the Green Climate Fund on an Ambitious Path
by Clifford Polycarp and Louise Helen Brown - October 06, 2013
Expectations are running high as the Board of the Green Climate Fund prepares for its fifth meeting in Paris this week. The GCF must make progress towards five key issues at next week’s meeting in Paris.
China Invests Billions in International Renewable Energy Projects
by Clifford Polycarp and Yingzhen Zhao - June 06, 2013
It’s well-known that China ranks first in the world in attracting clean energy investment, receiving US$ 65.1 billion in 2012. But new analysis from WRI shows another side to this story: China is increasingly becoming a global force in international clean energy investment, too. In fact, the country has provided nearly $40 billion dollars to other countries’ solar and wind industries over the past decade.

This investment is consistent with a broader trend of major emerging economies like China, India, and Brazil becoming important sources of global overseas invest¬ments. WRI’s new working paper, China’s Overseas Investments in the Wind and Solar Industries: Trends and Drivers, helps to better understand China’s renewable energy investments overseas, as well as the policy and market forces that drive them.

China’s Overseas Wind and Solar Investments, By the Numbers

According to our research, Chinese companies have made at least 124 investments in solar and wind industries in 33 countries over the past decade (2002 – 2011), more than half of which were made in 2010 and 2011 (see Figure 1). Despite some gaps in the data that prevent us from generalizing about all of China’s wind and solar investments, we learned that:

Of the 54 investments for which financial data were available, the cumulative amount invested came to nearly US$40 billion.

China invested roughly US$10 billion in 16 wind projects and US$27.5 billion in 38 solar investments.

Of 53 investments with capacity data available, the cumulative installed capacity added was nearly 6,000 MW.

The majority of investments were in electricity generation. Several investments were made in manufacturing facilities and to establish sales and marketing offices.

Most of the investments were in developed countries. A huge amount went to the United States, as well as Germany, Italy, and Australia. A handful of developing countries—including South Africa, Pakistan, and Ethiopia—also attracted multiple investments.
3 Ways to Unlock Climate Finance
by Clifford Polycarp and Shally Venugopal - April 10, 2013
Ministers and senior officials from developed countries will gather this Thursday in Washington, D.C. to tackle one of the world’s foremost challenges: how to mobilize private sector capital to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in developing countries and help them adapt to climate change’s impacts. The meeting, organized by the U.S. State Department, comes on the heels of another meeting of climate finance experts and researchers in Paris, organized by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

This global attention on climate finance comes at a critical moment: Research shows that the world will need to invest at least $5.7 trillion in clean water, sustainable transport, renewable energy, and other green infrastructure annually by 2020 in order to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius, thus preventing climate change’s worst impacts. We’re currently directing only about $360 billion annually toward these activities.

While these discussions are necessary, what’s more important is whether or not ministers and officials are talking about the right issues and asking the right questions. Addressing three questions—on the correct investment figures, the most effective policy and financing tools, and the importance of collaboration—will be critical to ensure that the April 11th Ministerial Meeting on Mobilizing Climate Finance achieves meaningful results.
What’s the Future of the Climate Investment Funds?
by Clifford Polycarp and Milap Patel - October 31, 2012
The committees governing the $7 billion Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) – the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) – will meet in Istanbul this week. Alongside these meetings, a range of stakeholders from civil society, indigenous groups, and the private sector will participate in a series of events organized as part of the annual Partnership Forum, which takes place from November 4-7, 2012.

Decisions made at these meetings are critically important for the funding of climate mitigation and adaptation activities in developing nations. They’ll have important implications for meeting the immediate investment needs of developing countries, as well as for long-term global climate finance. The meetings will mark the start of discussions on how to sunset the CIFs and transition to a new global climate finance mechanism—the Green Climate Fund.
Prioridades para el Fondo de Clima Verde 2012
by Louise Helen Brown and Clifford Polycarp - June 26, 2012
La primera reunión del Fondo de Clima Verde (GCF) se acerca rápidamente y dos de los grupos regionales—Asia-Pacífico y América Latina y el Caribe—todavía no han nominado a sus representantes para la Junta. El GCF fue desarrollado durante los dos últimos años, y ahora se espera que ofrezca financiamiento a gran escala para ayudar a afrontar los efectos del cambio climático en países en vía de desarrollo. Sin terminar las nominaciones, la Junta no puede lanzar “el principal fondo global de finanzas para afrontar cambio climático.”
2012 年绿色气候基金工作重点
by Louise Helen Brown and Clifford Polycarp - June 26, 2012
绿色气候基金（Green Climate Fund）第一次大会即将召开，而亚太地区以及拉丁美洲和加勒比海地区国家尚未提名其董事会成员。在过去长达两年的谈判中，绿色气候基金被寄予了向发展中国家提供大规模应对气候变化资金的厚望。然而如果不完成提名，董事会就无法启动“全球最主要的气候变化基金”这一重要项目的运作。

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Clifford Polycarp

Analyzing Outcomes from the UN Climate Summit

2 Big Issues to Tackle as the Green Climate Fund Sets Up Shop

3 Ways to Make Progress on Climate Finance at COP 19

The Green Climate Fund: From Inception to Launch

5 Areas for Action to Set the Green Climate Fund on an Ambitious Path

China Invests Billions in International Renewable Energy Projects

China’s Overseas Wind and Solar Investments, By the Numbers

3 Ways to Unlock Climate Finance

What’s the Future of the Climate Investment Funds?

Prioridades para el Fondo de Clima Verde 2012

2012 年绿色气候基金工作重点

Designed for the Future?

Assessing Principles of Sustainable Development and Governance in the World Bank's Project Plans...

Sum of Parts

Making the Green Climate Fund's Allocations Add Up to its Ambition...

Raising the Stakes

A Survey of Public and Public-Private Fund Models and Initiatives to Mobilize Private Investment

Within Reach

Strengthening Country Ownership and Accountability in Accessing Climate Finance

China's Overseas Investments in the Wind and Solar Industries

Trends and Drivers

Methodology and Database—Public Financing Instruments to Leverage Private Capital

Focus on Multilateral Agencies

Survey of Public Financing Institutions' Use of Instruments

Mobilizing Climate Investment

The Role of International Climate Finance in Creating Readiness for Scaled-Up, Low-Carbon Energy

Public Financing Instruments to Leverage Private Capital for Climate-Relevant Investment

Focus on Multilateral Agencies

Summary of Developed Country ‘Fast-Start’ Climate Finance Pledges

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China’s Overseas Wind and Solar Investments, By the Numbers

Assessing Principles of Sustainable Development and Governance in the World Bank's Project Plans...

Making the Green Climate Fund's Allocations Add Up to its Ambition...

A Survey of Public and Public-Private Fund Models and Initiatives to Mobilize Private Investment

Strengthening Country Ownership and Accountability in Accessing Climate Finance

Trends and Drivers

Focus on Multilateral Agencies

The Role of International Climate Finance in Creating Readiness for Scaled-Up, Low-Carbon Energy

Focus on Multilateral Agencies

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