Facts and Findings
Everything is relative
— Although Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) funds are less than 1 per cent of investment globally, ODA represents a larger share of the total investments in some countries, including Least Developed Countries: 6 per cent.
Various funding sources — Governments can help direct private investment to low-carbon alternatives through policies, including taxes to make the polluter pay and subsidies to pay the innovator.
Investing in low-carbon development — Under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), industrialized countries can invest in emissions reduction projects in developing nations, as an alternative to making more expensive emissions cuts at home. In this way, it allows net global greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced at a low global cost.
Helping countires meet their obligations — The Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides grants to developing countries for projects in six areas: biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer and persistent organic pollutants. As the designated financial body for the Framework Convention, it helps countries meet their obligations as signatories.
