Integrating climate action into each development initiative means affirming that the scale of climate change impact on local areas and their inhabitants requires acting accordingly, without delay. This is applicable for every single project or programme, no matter the source of funding. Critical elements include jointly tackling the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change, and researching synergies between climate action and the basic needs of the most fragile people, for example, by prioritising access to drinking water.
Ensuring that engagement takes place with diversified stakeholders is a priority in climate action: the public and private sectors, civil society, local communities, citizens and consumers — all of them have a role to play. Development processes based on access to information and local participation are central to building climate resilience. These processes integrate experience already acquired by local communities, encouraging individuals to adopt on-going and upcoming lifestyle changes. Anticipating the impacts that particularly affect women and girls is equally important.
A proactive approach is needed to ensure broad access to climate-smart solutions. Such solutions are present in various sectors: agriculture, forestry, the management of natural resources, infrastructure, mobility, and the management of extreme climate events. A just transition approach requires a detailed analysis of impacts and opportunities on the most fragile operators and territories — such as rural families, microenterprises, small communities, lagging areas. Concrete solutions can be developed together with them.
Similarly, a proactive approach is necessary, and possible, for a fair sharing of the value created by the low-carbon economy Tools for managing social risks — analysis of stakeholders, evaluation of the risks and impacts, action plans, capacity reinforcement — should be applied to the risks of exclusion of revenue from carbon markets. These tools allow us to anticipate the challenges of land security around carbon sinks, particularly in the forestry sector.
