CFAS Policy Brief: Predictability of International Climate Finance under the Paris Agreement

Ex-ante communication of climate finance is expected provide developing country Parties with the necessary certainty to plan for their low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathways. However, providing such information well in advance comes with certain challenges, deriving from the quite diverse nature of national budgetary processes. Nevertheless, the availability of such information shall be insured by Article 9.5 of the Paris Agreement (PA), which requires developed country Parties to report indicative quantitative and qualitative information on this matter in a biennial rhythm. Other Parties may engage in the ex-ante communication on a voluntary basis. What information is to be included in the ex-ante communication or under what modalities reporting shall take place are still subject to negotiation at the upcoming Katowice Climate Change Conference.

This policy brief summarizes the status quo of negotiations on Article 9.5 of the Paris Agreement, including closer looks at the actors to be involved, at the provisional list of information to be covered and at the modalities under debate. It concludes with an overview of negotiation streams at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that deal with Article 9.5 and provides recommendations on how to make progress on the topic.

The Climate Finance Advisory Service (CFAS) was launched by Germanwatch in 2012 and offers negotiators, policy makers and advisors in the poorest and most climate vulnerable countries bespoke information and guidance to help them effectively participate in complex global climate finance negotiations. The provision of CFAS advice and services has a focus on particular vulnerable countries, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and African States.