The International Research Network for Low Carbon Societies (LCS-RNet) circulated a position statement in the context of the upcoming COP21. The objective was to demonstrate the possibility of scientists of various disciplines, sharing diverse cultures, coming from countries at different development stages, to express common views about the conditions for triggering climate action in the current economic context. As of October 2015, the position statement was signed by 213 experts and scientists amongst 71 authors, chairs and co-chairs of the IPCC WGIII, five former ministers and top levels development economists, including Jean Pisani-Ferry, commissioner general of France Stratégie. More...

Novel ideas how to spend climate finance in a way that reduces emissions and at the same time promotes recipients’ immediate development objectives are required. In this short commentary, we propose to regard climate finance in the broader context of sustainable development. From this perspective, climate finance would enable recipient countries to combine the efficiency of emission pricing policies with the pursuit of their pressing development objectives, most importantly poverty reduction. More...

By Christian de Perthuis and Pierre-André Jouvet - A mechanism of carbon “bonus-malus” is proposed, where the average emission rate of world countries serves as the anchor: above the threshold, countries should pay a malus, under this level, they would receive a bonus. More...

Alfredo Sirkis (Centro Brasil no Clima) - This article is part of a special series discussing the economic dimensions of environmental issues ahead of the COP 21 Climate change Conference held in Paris on 30 November-11 December 2015. More...

By Billy Pizer (Duke University) - Four guideposts for efficient low carbon finance: remove subsidies for high-carbon technologies, improve the cost-effectiveness of low-carbon subsidies, encourage private sector innovation and maintain transparent public policy tools that support cost-benefit accounting. More...

By M.A.M. Kazemi - The Bangladesh central bank (Bangladesh Bank or BB) has a long tradition of favouring socially sustainable financing behaviour. It was thus natural to extend its mission to the question of climate change mitigation and adaptation investments, both internally and externally in the global financial system. More...